"All aboard!" the conductor, with a graying beard and kindly face,
yelled. Platform 9 ¾ was packed with all different ages of students, many
quite nervous. Everyone of them had a cart stacked high with trunks, no
doubt full of books and such, and many an animal, varying from cats to owls
to even rats. The air was thick with anticipation and excitement, for these
students were special in a way. Every one of them was a witch or a wizard,
capable of doing magnificent things and fulfilling their every wish with
just a simple spell or incantation.
The adolescents were all waiting to board a large and very long, scarlet train with the letters stamped across in black, Hogwarts Express. As the last of the loitering magic folk got on, a young girl with fiery red hair was yelling back to her panting father, "Come on, Dad! We're going to miss it!" as she ran to the train. The two finally caught up and had a quick word before the eleven year old boarded.
"Lily, honey, I'm sorry your mother and sister couldn't make it. You know how your sister feels about this whole situation," he said. The thought of Petunia not wanting to have anything to do with her younger sister saddened him.
"Oh, it's okay. It doesn't bother me." Suddenly, the steam engine screeched and smoke billowed from it. "Sorry dad! I don't want to miss it!"
She gave her father a kiss on the cheek and ran up the steps to the train. "Bye! I love you!" And she disappeared.
"Love you too," exclaimed her father, to his departed daughter that he loved so much. "I'll miss you." At that, the train finally lugged into motion and gradually sped up as it entered the London countryside.
*
"Whoo, I made it!" Lily said softly to herself, as she slid open a compartment door and sat down heavily on a seat. She sighed and looked out the window. What if nobody likes me? What if I won't make any friends? What if I can't even do magic? The last thought saddened her. What if it was all a mistake?
For a portion of the train ride, these thoughts churned in her mind until it was all she could think about. She was excited to start her new life as a witch, but the thought of her failing scared her. Lily hated the idea of failure and worked hard to be the best at everything. She was a petite girl with deep auburn hair and bright emerald eyes. She didn't wear much makeup because she didn't see the point in it. However, she was a natural beauty.
Lily thought back to the conversation with her dad. It did bother her that her sister, Petunia, practically disowned her when the letter from Hogwarts came. They used to be so close until Petunia started calling her all sorts of names, 'freak' being her favorite. Freak. That's what Lily assumed she must be if something like this could happen to her.
As Lily pondered these thoughts, a tall, brunette entered the compartment and dropped down into the seat across from her. She smiled and said sweetly, "Hi! My name is Kayla! I'm a first year. What's your name?"
All thoughts of being a freak fled her mind and Lily answered brightly, "I'm Lily. I'm a first year too."
Kayla sighed. "It's really nice to meet someone who isn't so flaky. So many other girls in our year are so.so dim-witted and brainless! You seem real down to earth."
Kayla had her curly, chestnut hair cut to her shoulders and she had piercing blue eyes. She was a few inches taller than Lily but she seemed nice.
Lily smiled. "Thanks, I think."
Kayla laughed and responded, "Trust me, it's a good thing! Whoo, it's chaos out there. There are four boys running around pranking people and causing absolute havoc! I'm glad I found some protection. They even turned my hair green!! I had to find a prefect to turn it normal again."
"Geez. I hope we don't run into them." Lily said.
"Mm hm. I'm sure you will eventually though." Kayla said, with a frown on her face. "So what house do you want to be in? I'm aiming for Gryffindor or even Ravenclaw would be great too. As long as I'm not in Slytherin! That would be awful!!"
Lily looked confused and asked, "What are those? And what's wrong with.oh, what did you call it? Slytherin?"
"Yeah! Slytherin is awful! Every person who has been in Slytherin has turned out bad. Oh, I'm sorry you must not be accustomed to the wizarding world yet." Kayla said, smiling. "Those are the houses you get sorted into at Hogwarts. You sleep there, eat with your fellow students, and hang with them the people in your house. You should read Hogwarts, A History and get caught up. It would really help."
"Oh, gotcha! Thanks for the suggestion." Lily replied. She really liked this Kayla. She hoped they could become better friends.
And then, as if she could read Lily's mind, Kayla shyly said, "I really like you. I hope we get into the same house!"
"Oh, me too! I'm so nervous. I'm afraid that I will do bad and won't be as good as the other kids." Lily wasn't sure why she voiced her worries to this new girl she recently met but Kayla seemed so nice and friendly, she felt as if she could trust her not to make fun of Lily.
"I really wouldn't worry about it. A lot of kids are in the same position you are. I'm sort of scared too, but I'm sure we'll all learn in time. That's why we're going to school for this." Kayla said, reassuring her new friend. "I guess it's harder for people who are coming from all Muggle families like you. I'm a half-blood and my sister is in her 5th year."
"What's a Muggle?" Lily asked, confused again. She realized she had a lot more to learn about this new school.
"Non-wizarding folk. A lot of kids are like that. I wouldn't be worried about it." Kayla replied. "However, a lot of pure blood families look down on it. I don't understand why, though. We're all here for the same thing."
"Yeah, you're right. I hope I don't meet anybody like that!" Lily said, unsure. She knew how harsh kids could be in Muggle schools. What would it be like here?
The adolescents were all waiting to board a large and very long, scarlet train with the letters stamped across in black, Hogwarts Express. As the last of the loitering magic folk got on, a young girl with fiery red hair was yelling back to her panting father, "Come on, Dad! We're going to miss it!" as she ran to the train. The two finally caught up and had a quick word before the eleven year old boarded.
"Lily, honey, I'm sorry your mother and sister couldn't make it. You know how your sister feels about this whole situation," he said. The thought of Petunia not wanting to have anything to do with her younger sister saddened him.
"Oh, it's okay. It doesn't bother me." Suddenly, the steam engine screeched and smoke billowed from it. "Sorry dad! I don't want to miss it!"
She gave her father a kiss on the cheek and ran up the steps to the train. "Bye! I love you!" And she disappeared.
"Love you too," exclaimed her father, to his departed daughter that he loved so much. "I'll miss you." At that, the train finally lugged into motion and gradually sped up as it entered the London countryside.
*
"Whoo, I made it!" Lily said softly to herself, as she slid open a compartment door and sat down heavily on a seat. She sighed and looked out the window. What if nobody likes me? What if I won't make any friends? What if I can't even do magic? The last thought saddened her. What if it was all a mistake?
For a portion of the train ride, these thoughts churned in her mind until it was all she could think about. She was excited to start her new life as a witch, but the thought of her failing scared her. Lily hated the idea of failure and worked hard to be the best at everything. She was a petite girl with deep auburn hair and bright emerald eyes. She didn't wear much makeup because she didn't see the point in it. However, she was a natural beauty.
Lily thought back to the conversation with her dad. It did bother her that her sister, Petunia, practically disowned her when the letter from Hogwarts came. They used to be so close until Petunia started calling her all sorts of names, 'freak' being her favorite. Freak. That's what Lily assumed she must be if something like this could happen to her.
As Lily pondered these thoughts, a tall, brunette entered the compartment and dropped down into the seat across from her. She smiled and said sweetly, "Hi! My name is Kayla! I'm a first year. What's your name?"
All thoughts of being a freak fled her mind and Lily answered brightly, "I'm Lily. I'm a first year too."
Kayla sighed. "It's really nice to meet someone who isn't so flaky. So many other girls in our year are so.so dim-witted and brainless! You seem real down to earth."
Kayla had her curly, chestnut hair cut to her shoulders and she had piercing blue eyes. She was a few inches taller than Lily but she seemed nice.
Lily smiled. "Thanks, I think."
Kayla laughed and responded, "Trust me, it's a good thing! Whoo, it's chaos out there. There are four boys running around pranking people and causing absolute havoc! I'm glad I found some protection. They even turned my hair green!! I had to find a prefect to turn it normal again."
"Geez. I hope we don't run into them." Lily said.
"Mm hm. I'm sure you will eventually though." Kayla said, with a frown on her face. "So what house do you want to be in? I'm aiming for Gryffindor or even Ravenclaw would be great too. As long as I'm not in Slytherin! That would be awful!!"
Lily looked confused and asked, "What are those? And what's wrong with.oh, what did you call it? Slytherin?"
"Yeah! Slytherin is awful! Every person who has been in Slytherin has turned out bad. Oh, I'm sorry you must not be accustomed to the wizarding world yet." Kayla said, smiling. "Those are the houses you get sorted into at Hogwarts. You sleep there, eat with your fellow students, and hang with them the people in your house. You should read Hogwarts, A History and get caught up. It would really help."
"Oh, gotcha! Thanks for the suggestion." Lily replied. She really liked this Kayla. She hoped they could become better friends.
And then, as if she could read Lily's mind, Kayla shyly said, "I really like you. I hope we get into the same house!"
"Oh, me too! I'm so nervous. I'm afraid that I will do bad and won't be as good as the other kids." Lily wasn't sure why she voiced her worries to this new girl she recently met but Kayla seemed so nice and friendly, she felt as if she could trust her not to make fun of Lily.
"I really wouldn't worry about it. A lot of kids are in the same position you are. I'm sort of scared too, but I'm sure we'll all learn in time. That's why we're going to school for this." Kayla said, reassuring her new friend. "I guess it's harder for people who are coming from all Muggle families like you. I'm a half-blood and my sister is in her 5th year."
"What's a Muggle?" Lily asked, confused again. She realized she had a lot more to learn about this new school.
"Non-wizarding folk. A lot of kids are like that. I wouldn't be worried about it." Kayla replied. "However, a lot of pure blood families look down on it. I don't understand why, though. We're all here for the same thing."
"Yeah, you're right. I hope I don't meet anybody like that!" Lily said, unsure. She knew how harsh kids could be in Muggle schools. What would it be like here?
