Harry Potter Fanfiction: The Story of Sara Black
Chapter 1: Sara Black
Truthfully, Sara didn't know who her parents were. She didn't rightfully know who she was, to tell the truth. When she was about five, she realized that her parents weren't just on vacation.
She was an orphan.
The only living person that she had ever known had been her grandmother. Sara wasn't actually sure if her grandmother was truly related to her, but she was the one who had raised her.
Don't get me wrong, Sara loved her grandmother. More than anyone, really. But she was very strict and overbearing, making Sara do everything as close to perfect as she could get.
On this particular night, Sara was lying awake, as she often did, dreaming of her parents. She had no memory of them, not even a picture to go by, but she did like to imagine them. Her mother would have long, blonde hair, (the color Sara wished hers was) with large, bright blue eyes. Her father would have dark brown hair, (the color of Sara's actual hair) and dark, mysterious brown eyes. In her dreams they were always so happy together, and they loved her unconditionally. Her mom would be an artist, and would always be singing, painting, or working on some other random art piece that popped into her head. Her dad would be a hard worker, working all day to bring home the bacon, but when he was home he would be the best dad ever, lifting Sara high into the air and telling her that he loved her…
Sara herself was eleven years old, with long, dark brown hair that was cut in a 'v' pattern over one of her eyes. Her eyes were a light blue color, with long eyelashes and millions of freckles on her cheeks. Her skin was pale as could be, being as she was locked in the house on most days. She had to stay in and study. She had never been to a real school. Her grandmother taught her all that she needed to know, and as such Sara had no idea what the outside world looked like, except for the glances that she got outside the window and the stories in the newspapers that the house elf brought to her. Her idea of family life came from the novels she found in the huge family library. She had a lot of time to read.
Sara was a very frail looking child, with large eyes and a skinny face. Her legs were long and skinny, along with her arms. Her high cheekbones were the only thing that made her face look a little plump.
Sara jumped as there was a thump in the hallway. She sighed. It was probably just the house elf, but if her grandmother found her awake in the middle of the night it would mean trouble. Sara sighed and lay on her pillow, drifting slowly asleep.
"Sara Delphanie Black! It's past six! Get up!"
Sara opened her eyes groggily, cringing at the harsh voice still lingering in the air of the empty hallways. Why did she always have to get up so early?
"Sara!" The harsh voice screeched once again.
"Yes, Granmama, I'm up." Sara called, yawning as she finished. She threw off her blanket, stretching as she moved to a sitting position.
"Hurry up." Her grandmother's voice snapped. "We're behind schedule. You now have only ten minutes for breakfast."
Sara sighed. All of her days were perfectly planned, down to the last second, so that she never had any time to play like a normal child. She got up and brushed her hair, tying a pink ribbon in it to keep her bangs out of her face. She then donned her frilliest pink dress, along with her dainty black shoes.
Sara sighed as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. This was not even the way she wanted to look. But what grandmother wants, grandmother gets, or else.
"Kreacher, bring me my breakfast please." Sara called out and in a minute and old house elf came slowly into her room, carrying a large breakfast tray.
"Yes young mistress." Kreacher said in his grumbling voice, his ears flopping with each step he took. "Young mistress is so good to the Mistress." Kreacher rambled on as Sara ate her breakfast. "Young mistress is so much better than her father… that no good betrayer… yes, your father was a disgrace to the family name…"
"My… father..?" Sara asked, her eyes widening. This was the first time that Kreacher had ever mentioned even knowing her father… "What else can you tell me about him…?" She asked cautiously, trying not to let the elf know that she was interested.
"No, no young mistress. Mistress has warned me against telling you about your father. It might put the wrong notions into your head. Very very bad trouble Kreacher would be in if that happens, yes young mistress."
"Alright, alright Kreacher, I won't ask any more." Sara giggled, amused. "So…" Sara took a bite of her toast with an egg yolk spread on top. "How much time do I have to eat?"
"Exactly seven minutes, young mistress."
"Alright…" Sara nodded and took another bite of her toast.
"Good morning, Granmama." Sara bowed respectfully to a painting on the wall, and it spoke back.
"Sara. You're right on schedule."
"Yes, Granmama."
"Did you finish your breakfast?"
"Yes Granmama."
"Good next on the schedule… what day is it child?"
"It's Wednesday, Granmama." Sara replied "Next on the schedule is piano practice for an hour, then ballet, and painting, then voice lessons, and then an hour for reading aloud."
"Oh, very good child. Carry on then."
"Very well Granmama." Sara bowed in ending and left.
"La la la la la la la la laaaahh…" Sara sang up and down the scale, playing the keys on the piano. She was always able to match the pitch of the key, even if she jumped from note to note, randomly. She liked to sing, but the fact that her grandmother pushed her and pushed her to be perfect just ruined the whole thing…
She sat down at the piano, beginning her favorite song to sing, "Greensleeves", and she lost herself as she began to sing…
"Alas, my love you do my wrong to cast me off discourteously… For I have loved you so long, delighting in your company…
I have been ready at your hand to grant whatever you would crave. I have both loved life and land your love and goodwill for to have…
Greensleeves was all my joy and Greensleeves was my delight… Greensleeves my heart of gold and who…."
Sara jumped as a beautiful tawny owl swooped down through the chimney and landed daintily in front of her on the piano. It hooted greeting at her, and held out its leg, with a letter attached.
"Oh, hello…" Sara greeted the owl, petting the beautiful feathers for a moment, enjoying the silky feeling under her fingers. She didn't have an owl of her own, so she loved seeing them when they came around. The owl hooted at her, sticking out its leg further. Sara nodded. "Alright, alright. Sorry." Sara pulled the letter off the owl's leg, and in another instant the owl spread its wings and flew off.
Sara glanced at the letter for a second, before realizing that it was addressed to her. It was a very strange for her to get a letter, for very little people knew her. The Malfoys had been over for a visit a few years ago, but they wouldn't send her a letter. Actually, Lucius had come on his own a little while after and argued with her grandmother for a long time before leaving in a rage. She had never found out why, but she heard something about a girl, and her grandmother refusing to take her in… she had said that it was Lucius' problem…
"Granmama!" Sara squealed, grabbing the letter and rushing from the room. "Granmama!"
"Hush child! You could give someone a heart attack screaming like that. It's very unbecoming." Mistress Black scolded her as she came to a screeching halt beside the portrait.
"But-but Granmama," Sara gasped, out of breath "it-it's a letter. A letter for me…"
"Who sent it?"
"I don't know…" Sara stared at the front of the letter, confused. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? What was that supposed to mean…?
"Let me see."
Sara held out the letter for her grandmother to see, and Mistress Black gasped, looking happy for the first time Sara could remember.
"What? What is it, Granmama?"
"It's from Hogwarts! Oh, I knew this day would come! My little Sara is finally going to learn her witchcraft!"
"But-"
"There's no time to talk, Sara. We must get you to Diagon Alley right away. Why, it's less than a week to the first week of Hogwarts… the headmaster must have had trouble finding the place… Well no matter, the letter is here now."
"Wha-what…?" Sara shook her head. This was all going so fast…
"Kreacher! Come here at once!" Mistress Black called, and Kreacher came as quickly as his old legs would carry him into the hallway.
"Yes, mistress?"
"Write down the number to my vault in Gringott's bank, and get out my old wand. Sara is going to Diagon Alley. She can take the knight's bus."
Sara looked up and down the street, soaking up the fresh air. She loved the outside, and she had only ever seen her front street from the inside… In her hand she had her grandmother's old wand, and it felt very awkward indeed.
"Just hold the wand out in front of you, young mistress. Yes, that's good."
"L-like this?" Sara held the wand out in front of her unsurely, and squealed as a huge two-Decker bus came out of nowhere. A boy about fifteen years old hung out the door of the bus, smiling at Sara.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, transportation for stranded witches and wizards. I'm Rick, and this is Ernie." The boy pushed his unruly blonde hair out of his eyes, which were blue and sparkling.
"Um-"
"Diagon Alley, Masters." Kreacher said quickly, "And I advise you to take good care of the young mistress, and she will pay you accordingly."
"Yes, of course…" Rick answered, seeming a little hesitant to take orders from a house elf. But he took Sara's baggage into the bus, nonetheless. Sara turned to Kreacher, with tears in her eyes.
"Kreacher…" Sara whispered, scared.
"Now, now young mistress, don't be scared. Hogwarts is a good place. Kreacher knows. You will like it there."
"But… I don't know the first thing about magic… or anything else really for that matter…"
"You will do well. It is in your blood young mistress. Now go."
"Goodbye Kreacher…"
"Goodbye young mistress."
Sara tearfully climbed onto the Knight Bus, and sat down in the nearest chair, which was a neat umbrella chair, with a nice desk next to it. Rick came up and smiled a toothy grin at her.
"Comfortable?"
"Yes, thank you." Sara blushed a little, looking away. She wasn't quite sure how to talk to people, as she had only ever talked to her grandmother and Kreacher all her life…
"Alright Ernie, punch it." Rick called to the front of the bus, and the Knight Bus lurched off with astonishing speed. After Sara's stomach had settled, she looked over at Rick who was watching her with interest.
"What?" Sara blushed deeply.
"Nothing." Rick answered, but kept staring at Sara. After a while he asked, "Hey so what's yer name?"
"Sara…" Sara replied quietly. Rick smiled kindly.
"So, what business do ya' have in Diagon Alley?"
"I'm… going to buy school supplies…"
"Oh, starting a new year at Hogwarts, eh?" Rick asked "I'm going back there this year too. This is my summer job. I use it ta' help pay for Hogwarts, actually. How old are ya', 'bout twelve?"
"I'm eleven…"
"No joke? Well I woulda' guessed ya' to be at least a secon' year at Hogwarts."
"Well the truth is, I don't really know what I'm doing."
"Didn't yer paren's esplain' it?"
"Actually… I … I don't know my parents."
"Oh…" Tom looked uncomfortable and ran his hand through his hair. "Well, I mean' no disrespect…"
"It's okay." Sara smiled, shrugging.
"Ah, here we are." Rick sighed as they came to a stop in front of Diagon Alley. "Just ask the innkeeper for a room, an' I'm sure he'll be keen enough to show ya' how ta' get ta' Diagon Alley in the morning."
"Thank you for your help Rick." Sara got up, handing Rick the money for the fare and a few extra coins for him and Ernie.
"Thanks." Rick helped her down the stairs and brought out her luggage, handing it to the innkeeper, who carried it inside. "See ya' at Hogwarts."
Sara stood outside the inn, looking around for a little while. This was the first time she had been anywhere away from the house…
"Well this is it…" She whispered to herself.
"This will be your room, Ma'am." The innkeeper, Tom said leading Sara to a room. Sara looked inside and felt a pit in her stomach. It wasn't very homey… "Now, get some sleep for tonight, and tomorrow morning I'll show you to the Alley."
"Alright." Sara nodded at him, and handed the innkeeper money for the room. She sighed and looked around. The room was just a bed and a little dresser with an attached mirror. At least it had a window so that she could look out on the street. She felt overwhelmed all of a sudden. She was so far away from everything she had ever known…
Sara lay down on the bed, and for the first time in a long time she fell straight to sleep.
In the morning, Sara woke up and went straight to the mirror. She instinctively began to tie up her hair, but then paused. There was no grandmother to please… she could leave her hair down if she decided to… She smiled, and wove her ribbon into a neat ponytail, leaving her bangs down.
"You look gorgeous, dearie." The mirror told her, and Sara smiled widely.
"Thank you." She nodded to the mirror. She dressed in her most comfortable clothes, knee-length pink skirt, and long sleeved white shirt, with pink sandals. She would never have been able to dress this casually at home. She practically skipped to the door and down the stairs. When she reached the common room, she smiled brightly at the innkeeper, who was amazed by her high spirits so early in the morning.
"Are… you ready to go to the alley?"
"Yes, please." Sara nodded enthusiastically, ready to go exploring in the open air.
"Right this way." The innkeeper grunted, bringing Sara over to a brick wall. He pulled out his wand, and tapped bricks in the wall, each in a strange pattern. Then, suddenly, the wall rumbled and a hallway opened in the wall. "Now, go through here and Gringotts is right down the way to your left. It's the big white building you can't miss it."
"right." Sara nodded, and walked down the hall. Suddenly, she was in a wide, sunny street, with people bustling everywhere. She looked around, wide-eyed. There were so many people! There was so much noise! She had never seen a place like this! She shook her head and headed toward the bank.
Sara stared up into the face of a grumpy looking elf. He glared down at her, and she raised an eyebrow. She was starting to wonder if he was even an elf at all… but what else could he be?
"Name, please?"
"Sara Delphanie Black." Sara answered promptly, and the elf looked at his papers. "My grandmother has an account here… vault 925…?"
"Black… yes…" The elf said in his gruff voice. "Right this way. I assume you have the key?"
"Yeah." Sara pulled a small gold key on a necklace from around her neck. She handed it to the elf, and he nodded.
"Right this way." The elf got down from his podium and led Sara to a strange machine, starting it up. Sara felt her heart leap into her throat as the machine started to move, twirling and spinning and moving so fast she had no idea which way was up or which way was down. She held on tight as the machine came to an abrupt halt, and she felt the air come back into her lungs. She looked up and saw a huge door with "Vault 925" in gold letters on the front.
"Your vault is one of the oldest and most protected in the bank, Mistress." The elf nodded to Sara as he unlocked the door and opened it. Sara's eyes widened as she stepped into her massive vault, looking around. Gold was everywhere! And it was all hers… "How much would you like?"
Sara really had no idea how much money she would need, so she might have overdone it a bit… she only took a couple hundred galleons, after all, there were tens of thousands in there…
She pulled out the list of supplies from her letter, and read it off to herself.
"Defense against the dark arts for beginners… Potions for nitwits (rude)… Quiditch basics…"
"You're looking for a bookstore?" A boy's voice asked from behind her, and she turned to see two red-headed boys smiling rather widely at her.
"Well, yes. You see, I've got to get these-"
"For Hogwarts?"
"You could try Bog's Boggles."
"Well… that doesn't sound like a bookstore…"
"It's not. But who needs books anyway?"
"School's for fools."
"By the way, I'm Fred."
"And I'm George."
"Well Fred and George, I need to go." Sara rolled her eyes at the apparent twins and re-adjusted her bag, starting to walk away.
"Wait, aren't you going to tell us your name?"
"Maybe, if you show me where a bookstore is." Sara smirked, and Fred and George shared a look.
"Oh, you are a tricky one." George smiled.
"Alright, we'll show you around, on one condition." Fred smirked.
"You take both of us, on a date." George finished.
"Not at the same time, I hope." Sara giggled.
"Oh, no."
"Of course not."
"So it's a deal?"
"Yeah it's a deal." Sara smiled. Fred and George nodded and looked at each other.
"Alright, first stop, Florish and Blott's book shop." Fred announced, and led Sara off through the street.
Sara struggled to keep up with the twin's longs strides as they led her through the streets. There were so many people all bustling here and there, Sara was sure she saw several other kids her age carrying new packages and black cats following people around, just like in the storybooks.
George turned to look at Sara, and smiled as her eyes met his. She noticed that his eyes were a blue/green color, and they were full of mischief.
"So, what's your name then?" George asked, walking backwards. Sara smiled and rolled her eyes as George ran into his brother, almost toppling the both of them.
"My name is Sara." Sara replied, grabbing George's arm and pulling him along next to her. For some reason, she didn't feel as nervous around these two as she did with others… "And you, sir should watch where you're going."
"Here we are…" Fred pulled open the door to a huge, tidy looking bookshop, and the bells on the door rang sweetly in greeting. A skinny woman with brown hair and sharp grey eyes called welcome from a counter currently swarming with students and their parents rushing to buy books. Sara smiled, enjoying the chaos, and followed Fred to the farthest wall. Fred motioned grandly to a huge wall of books, smiling.
"I give you the largest assortment of books Diagon Alley has to offer." Fred announced. George snatched Sara's book list from her hand, reading off the books. Fred then began to look through the books on the walls, finding each book faster than Sara could have dreamt of finding them on her own, so she just let them go. She started browsing the books on other shelves, intrigued by a few of the titles. "The Fall of Giants." "Fairiefolk and Their Folds."
"'The Mad Werewolf'…?" Sara picked the book up, and the cover showed a gruesome picture of a huge beast, almost doglike in appearance, but with huge fangs. The picture moved and growled viciously at Sara, bearing its fangs. "Cool!" Sara squealed.
Fred laughed from behind Sara, and Sara realized that he was standing, looking over her shoulder at the book.
"Strange… most girls your age would have screamed and dropped that book after it gave her that look." Fred joked, taking the book out of her hand. "Do you want to buy this one too?"
"Yeah… and this one." Sara pulled a book about animagus' off the shelf, handing it to Fred. Fred raised his eyebrows at the book, but shrugged and carried the books over to the counter, dropping them all loudly in a heap. The woman behind the counter flinched slightly and with a swish of her wand the books piled themselves neatly into two piles.
"Well you should probably pick out a book bag too, seeing as you have to carry these things around most of the time…" George sighed. Sara looked up at the huge wall of book bags behind the counter, and picked out a large black one, simple enough so that she could decorate it later without making it look weird.
After paying the requested coin, Sara, with the help of the twins carried all of her books out of the store. They then visited several other stores, with potion's ingredients, cauldrons, quills and ink (Sara got several pink and lavender quills, squealing about how they were all so cute), and a couple other stores that Fred and George just wanted to see. Next they had to go to Ollivander's to get a wand.
Sara snuck into the store quietly, looking around. Another excited looking girl pushed past her to get out the door, holding a new wand in her hand and chatting excitedly with her parents. Fred and George nudged Sara inside the dusty store, and she looked shyly up at a short old man gently replacing a box on a shelf.
"Hey Ollivander." George greeted the man happily, waving. The old man looked up, his huge eyes scanning them.
"Another first year?" he asked, climbing down from his stepladder. "Alright then, come here."
Sara backed into George, scared by the dark, dusty interior of the store. George laughed a little, nudging her gently forward.
"It's just Mr. Ollivander. He doesn't bite, Sara."
"At least not hard." Fred shrugged, walking up to the counter, where Ollivander was replacing the lid on a box.
"Well, lets see here…" Ollivander stepped out from behind the counter, walking up close to Sara. "What's your name then?"
"Sara… Black." Sara replied quietly, and Ollivander's eyes got a strange glint in them.
"Really?" He asked, surveying her with his wide, silver eyes. "Yes, yes I think I can see your father in your face… and your hair… but the eyes… the eyes belong to someone else… I wasn't aware that your father ever married… Especially not to her…" Ollivander shook his head and pulled out a tape measure "Which is your wand arm, dear?"
"I'm… right handed…" Sara replied unsurely.
Ollivander nodded and the tape measure began measuring Sara of its own accord, almost everywhere… Ollivander watched her with interest as the tape measure continued.
"Your father bought a wand here too, you know." He told Sara, his eyes never leaving her face. "Maple, and dragon heart string. It was nine inches and very whippy. Great wand for defensive spells…"
Sara watched as Mr. Ollivander walked over to a shelf, reaching up and grabbing a box from the middle shelf. "Enough!" He called to the room, and the tape measure immediately rolled up and stuffed itself back in Ollivander's pocket.
"Try this one." Ollivander nodded at the box as he reached Sara, and Sara timidly stuck her hand in the box, pulling out a long wand, made of dark wood. "Ten inches, Ebony, dragon heartstring. Perfect for charms. Just give it a swish."
Sara swished the wand, but Ollivander snatched it from her hand before she had a chance to even get the hang of it. He then scurried off to another shelf and brought back a couple more boxes.
"Try this one. Mahogany, eight inches, phoenix feather. Good defensive wand…"
Sara only held the wand before Ollivander snatched it back, mumbling to himself. He handed her one more wand, his eyes looking hopeful this time.
"This one… twelve and a quarter inches… maple, unicorn hair. Pliable. Perfect wand for potion making…"
Sara took the wand in her hand, and it just felt… good… Her fingers felt tingly and she swished the wand, causing it to send out a shower of silver, blue and yellow sparks, twirling into beautiful spirals and flowers. Sara smiled and looked up into the beautiful sparkling lights, now disintegrating into twinkling dust. Fred and George each clapped Sara on the back, congratulating her. Ollivander nodded, taking the two reject wands back to the shelves.
"Good, good. That wand has been here a long time; I think it was getting restless. Especially the wands made with unicorn hair, they always want to get out and see the world, you know?" Ollivander held out his hand to Sara, motioning for the wand. Sara felt the wand tugging at her hand as if it didn't want to leave. Sara, with a great deal of difficulty handed her wand back to Mr. Ollivander, and he wrapped it neatly back in its box, putting the lid back on. "Right then, Miss Black that will be eight galleons."
Sara handed Mr. Ollivander the galleons and left the shop, her new wand in hand.
"Are you interested in Quidditch?" Fred asked suddenly as they exited a joke shop, where Sara had bought several trick parchments and exploding snaps.
"Interested in what?" Sara asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Quidditch. Come now you can't possibly say," Fred began
"That you don't know what Quidditch is." George finished.
"Never heard of it." Sara said, unscathed, but George and Fred both reenacted a death scene, dropping on the road in a heap.
"Well, Fred I have never seen such a helpless case." George sighed.
"Nor have I, George." Fred agreed.
"Well we'll have to fix that then." George said, and they both popped up.
"How much money have you got left?" Fred asked, and Sara opened her purse, full to the brim with gold, silver and bronze coin.
"Blimey is that all yours?" George asked, his eyes wide.
"Who else's would it be?"
"You didn't rob a bank did you?" George joked.
"To the Quidditch store then?" Fred suggested.
"Right behind you." George agreed.
The twins both went speeding off through the streets, and Sara had to push her way through several groups of people just to keep track of them. Luckily their red hair made them easy to spot, and finally the twins stopped in front of a big building. Fred nodded at the door, and Sara quickly went inside, gasping. The whole place was full of broomsticks! Actual flying broomsticks!
"You could always get the Cleansweep." Fred said, looking up at the many models of broom hovering above their heads. "That's one of the longest running types on the market."
"Next to the Atomic Comet and the Nimbus of course." Said George, indicating the newest broom, the Nimbus 2000.
"Ah, the Nimbus 2000." Fred sighed in ecstasy. "The most amazing broom ever created."
"So far." George added in. Meanwhile, Sara was browsing the broom selection, and she saw a broom that caught her eye. Below the model was a plaque that said,
Thunderstorm, Not for sale.
Sara pouted. Not for sale? Why not? It looked like an amazing broomstick! It had a slightly curved handle, with "Thunderstorm" etched in neat silver letters on the top, and the sticks in the bottom were tightly gathered, almost art like in appearance.
"Sir!" Sara called, and a man behind the counter looked over at her. "Is there any way that I could get one of these?" She motioned to the broomstick. The man behind the counter looked thoughtfully at her, and then the broom, and re-adjusted his glasses.
"Not unless you had it specially made, m'girl. They stopped making those a few years back." The man said.
"May I place an order then?" Sara asked.
"Well of course, but it will be quite expensive. You'd have to pay for special manufacturing rights… delivery fee… the materials…"
"Name your price."
"Ninety-five galleons?"
"I'll take one." Sara concluded.
"Oh, all right, if you just come up here, and we'll arrange it." The man sighed, but then brightened as Sara pulled out the requested coin. "Well I'll be. I'd never thought that I'd see another Thunderstorm made again, what with all of this Nimbus nonsense. Then out of the blue, a young girl wants to buy one! What are the odds?" He smiled. "Now, what's your name?"
"Sara Black."
"And your address?"
"Oh…" Sara suddenly remembered that first-years weren't supposed to have broomsticks of their own…
"Send it to Fred Weasley, at Hogwarts." Fred came up, nodding at the man.
"Very well, we'll have it delivered by owl post in about two months. Thank you for your business, Miss Black."
"Wow, I wouldn't think that you'd spend that much money on an out-dated broom, Sara…" Fred said, sighing.
"It was cute." Sara said defensively, and George laughed.
"How could anyone see a broom as 'cute'?" George asked.
"Anyway…" Fred interrupted them, "We still have one last stop."
"Marge's Magical Menagerie." George finished, smiling widely.
"You're allowed to bring a pet to school." Fred said.
"So, what would you like?" George asked.
"A cat." Sara replied surely, remembering the black cats following the witches around earlier, and she imagined herself with a small black kitten following her around. The thought made her laugh. But she didn't want a kitten. She wanted her cat a little bit older. Fred rolled his eyes.
"All right…"
Sara struggled to carry all of her books, her school robes, and her wand while her new black cat, (she had named her Sheek) rode contentedly on her shoulder. During the day she had become quite fond of her two twin tour guides. They both were carrying around small packages of stuff (quills, ink, books) only the basics, and so they each carried one of Sara's things. As soon as they reached the hallway back to the Leaky Cauldron, Fred turned to Sara and saluted majestically.
"Sadly, Sara, now we must depart." Fred sighed.
"Hope to see you tomorrow, perhaps on the train?" George asked, walking Sara back to where they found her. "Where are you staying?"
"The Leaky Cauldron." Sara said, and they brightened.
"Well then, tomorrow morning you can meet us in the common room. We'll board the train together." Fred smiled.
"Until tomorrow, then?" George suggested
"Until tomorrow." Sara smiled, and bid a fond farewell to her new-found friends.