Alice Longbottom

CHAPTER ONE

Good Morning

"Wake up firstie," Augusta's voice taunted from the doorway to my room. I opened my eyes and peered out my window. As my eyes settled to the light, I realized Hogsmeade was already filling up with customers.

"What time is it," I groaned, pulling my purple covers off of me.

"It's almost 9 o'clock and your breakfast is getting cold," my blonde older sister answered impatiently, as she exited my bedroom and trotted down the stairs. I rolled out of bed, yawning, putting on my glasses so I could finally read the blurry illuminated blue letters on my alarm clock. The time was now 8:56 am and I got changed into a black tee with red skinny jeans and converse. I lifted my trunk full of clothes, uniforms, and pictures and my pygmy puff cage, and carried them downstairs.

"Wow, look who finally decided to wake up," my mum joked, flipping pancakes in the kitchen. I headed over to a table in the back corner of my mother's wizarding restaurant The Three Broomsticks, which already had two or three customers.

"Blueberry pancake?" Augusta offered, her beautiful blonde hair up in a bun.

"Of course," I exclaimed, smiling. Blueberry pancakes were my family's favourite muggle food, especially my father, "What house do you want to be sorted in?"

I bit my lip, thinking. I wasn't really sure, "I don't know yet," I muttered, shrugging. I continued to eat my pancakes. More than likely, I was going to get Hufflepuff. My mum was a Hufflepuff, Augusta's a Hufflepuff, and Daddy asked to be in Hufflepuff, but was sorted into Gryffindor.

About an hour later, mum walked in, "Girls, the train leaves at 12:30. Its 11:30, and we'd better get going!" We exited the shop, which my mother let her cousin Leah take over while we were gone, and went to a knew store called: Hogwarts and Away where they sold uniforms, scarves, broomsticks, trunks, cages, and other wizarding school supplies so families living in Hogsmeade wouldn't have to travel all the way to Diagon Alley. In the back corner was the only way to Kings Cross without apparating or riding a broomstick or muggle object.

"J-just gr-gra-g-grab some floo pow-d-der-der and threw, I mean throw, it-it into the f-f-fire," The elderly, twitchy, sick looking, old woman behind the desk instructed.

"Augusta," my mom nudged my older sister towards the blazing red fire. Augusta nodded, closed her eyes in concentration, and threw some of the purple powder into the fire, making the flames erupt a neon green colour. She concentrated again, then said loudly and clearly, "PLATFORM 9 ¾ KINGS CROSS STATION," She just vanished into the flame, diving like a professional. 'Wow,' I thought to myself, 'I'm probably gonna look like an elephant trying to dive into a kiddy pool. And then end up in Africa.' It was true… I was horrible at using the floo network.

"Dive safe," Mum put her arm around me, winking and showing me her perfect white teeth. She had the most gorgeous blonde hair and blue eyes, and no freckles. My dad, however, had dark brown hair, and freckles all over, and crooked teeth, and dark green eyes. I got ALL of Daddy's traits, and Augusta got Mother's.

I snapped back to reality, throwing the powder into the flame. Watching it blaze even brighter, hearing it crackle, knowing all the stories of witches and wizards, young and old, getting killed or harmed in this confusing network.

"Platform 9 ¾ Kings Cross station," I said as loudly and clearly as I could at this nervous state. Leaping into the hearth, I held my trunk (and Pygmy Puff, Esley) itghly, being sure not to drop them. I passed may other fireplaces, seeing blonde twins I new named Lorcan and Lysander Scamander bickering back and forth in front of there fire. I looked ahead of me, a familiar face and a whisp of dirty blonde hair was also in the floo system, and behind me was a boy with a similar face, but with short brown hair.

The ride got progressively more boring, if that was even possible. I was no longer nervous, but I wanted to talk to someone. Maybe the girl in front of me. She was my best friend after all! Fionna Brown-Finnigan. She was also in my year, and was VERY bold. Always wearing neon colours, and wacky outfits. She was also very boy crazy, and ALWAYS saw a cute boy whether we were watching quidditch, or just walking around Hogsmeade.

Finally, I saw light straight ahead and heard Fi's familiar yelp along with a thump. As I drew closer to the end, I got more and more nervous. I flew out of the fireplace, onto my butt, in front of tons of wizards, most of whom were attending Hogwarts.

"More graceful than my landing," Fionna joked, "I landed on a Potter!"

"You're such a klutz!" I teased, pushing her shoulder, "So, which Potter?"

"The one in our year… Albus," she pointed out a boy with black hair and emerald green eyes.

"You like him, don't you."

"What do you think?"

"Hmm… I wonder Mrs. Boy-Crazy!"

"Shut up," She pushed me. Turned out, a Potter broke my fall as well. Albus stumbled, and I fell flat on my bum… Again…

"Sorry," he apologized, "I wasn't watching my way!"

"No, it was me," I confessed, "I was distracted. I was talking to my friend, Fionna."

"I know Fionna. She was on my Jr. Quidditch team. By the way, nice seeing you again!"

Fionna waved shyly, "Yeah. Same."

"You played with Fionna? On the Hippogryffs?! I played on the Pheonixes. I was the seeker," I informed

"Really? Your team beat us in the finals! I guess I wasn't fast enough… I'm seeker too," Albus confessed. His brother called: "C'mon Slytherin!" From across the room. His red-headed mother gave the older Potter a glare and Albus left, "Sit with me on the train, guys!"

"So Fionna," a voice rang from behind us, "found a new boy to snog, eh?" It was Fionna's 2nd year Hufflepuff brother, Seamus.

"Oh really, as if you've actually gotten a girl, even ONCE, Seamus," Fionna taunted, "See now, I've had 5 boyfriends. And look at yourself? A whole year older, and not a single one?"

A girl, with red hair that had rainbow streaks in it stepped up behing him, "I wouldn't go around saying that!"

"Hey Dommi," Seamus hugged the redhead.

"Dominique Weasley," I was shocked, "Dom? The Gryffindor Keeper? WHYYYYYYY!" Fionna let out a giggle, Seamus looked offended, and Dom looked amused.

"Maybe, I'm just HOT," Seamus said. Fionna crossed her arms and twisted her eyebrows in an are-you-kidding-me-you-idiot sort of way.

"You… Just keep believing that," I patted his shoulder as Fi and I liked arms and walked towards the train.

We boarded the expressway and sat in an empty compartment. A boy with darker skin appeared in the doorway.

"Hey Fionna. Can I sit with you," He asked. Apparently, Ms. Boy-Crazy was also friends with the ENTIRE YEAR.

"Sure thing Freddy," She answered. He sat down next to her, and there was an awkward silence.

"So," I broke the quietness, "Who's going to play quidditch?"

"Oh, I'm going for Seeker," Fionna answered with a wide grin.

"Well," I challenged, "If we are in the same house, you are going to have some competition!" I gave her a friendly punch on the chest.

"I've always played Beater… I guess I'll go for that," Freddy answered.

Soon, Albus came to the door, along with his 3rd year Gryffindor brother, James, and his 1st year cousin Rose Weasley.

"There are too many Weasleys in our year," Rose complained.

"True shit," Albus agreed.

"Gosh, you've had too much time around Uncle Ronald," Freddy spoke of Albus's language.

"Eh, whatever," Albus whacked Freddy's forehead, "It's true though, It's Me, Louis, You, and Rose."

"Then, Dom is one year above us, James and Roxanne are 2 years above," Freddy Ccontinued the family tree, "And Victiore is in her last year."

"Let's not forget Molly, Lucy, Lily, and Hugo," Rose reminded, "Hugo is coming in next year, and the other 3 are coming in the next year."

"We have way too many cousins…" Freddy complained.

"The train is about to take off," James announced, excited to return for another year at Hogwarts. I looked out the window sadly. I saw my mother, teary eyed, waving at me. I waved back and smiled. She blew me a kiss, and I caught it. It was just something we always did that made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Rose started crying, James laughed and called her a baby. All the kids waved to their families as the train slowly pulled out of the station. Bye Mommy I muttered as I waved to her for the last time until winter holiday.