Chapter 1: Prologue

It started out like a dream. I was eleven years old, finally old enough to get into Hogwarts. My older sister had never gotten her letter, but that was alright, she had said.
"Really, sis, I'm fine. After all, I've never truly been into magic. The Muggle world is the world for me."
That's what she told me when I looked at her with concern flooding my face all those years ago when my brother got his yearly letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but no acceptance letter had come for her. I was five at the time. Now I was eleven, heading off to King's Cross Station to board the Hogwarts Express. This was a dream come true.
The wall between Platforms 9 and 10 looked solid enough, but I knew better.
"Alright, sweetheart, together now," my father said, placing a hand on my shoulder.
He led me through the barrier at a run so no passing Muggles would notice. Muggles were a bit slow sometimes, but I was fascinated by them. My sister always brought me things from shopping with her friends- she attended Muggle schools and stayed with them often since they couldn't come to our house by Wizarding Law. I had many movies from an American Muggle production agency called "Disney." They were a bit dull and the witches were always horrid, nothing like real life. She promised next time she went shopping, she'd bring me a better film.
In all honesty, I loved my home, but I had no friends like my sister did. She was tall, blonde, beautiful, well-endowed, and popular. She was seventeen years old. I, meanwhile, was eleven. I was short for my age, with mouse-brown hair and matching brown eyes. I was scrawny. My dad always said I was beautiful, but I knew better. He was a father after all. He was supposed to say that.
I secretly hoped that I would someday live past my sister. I would be a star Quidditch player. I would marry someone rich like the legendary Harry Potter who had supposedly been left riches in Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts by his parents who'd been murdered by You-Know-Who. I would become the most beautiful witch in London. Nothing would get in my way.
Except the fact I had no friends yet.
As I made my way through the train corridor, I fantasized about my future. When the train began moving, I realized I'd better find a seat. Unfortunately, most of the compartments were full. I moved along until I found one with an opening. There were five other people in there, second-years probably, but hopefully they wouldn't mind sharing with this scrawny first-year.
"Well well well! What do we have here?" one of the boys, tall with red hair, chocolate brown eyes, and freckles, said putting one hand on the train wall behind me.
"Oh my. A little first year lost on the train?" this one was the same. Identical. Red hair, brown eyes, and freckles. He was maybe an inch taller though.
"How may we be of service, m'lady?" This boy was different. He had dark skin and his hair was rolled into dreadlocks. The three were clearly very close friends.
"For Merlin's sake, don't scare the poor thing," said a girl, shoving them out of the way. She had dark skin, too, and her hair was tied back in a bun on top of her head. She was the leader of the group, I suspected. "Sorry about them. They can be a real handful. What's your story, girly? Need a place to sit? A shoulder to cry on?"
"A good laugh?"
"Can it, Ginger!" the other girl in the compartment said, kicking the twin who had spoke in the shin.
"Ow! Blimey Alicia! What in the name of Merlin's beard was that for?"
The girl, blond hair, blue eyes, and all, simply sniffed and turned away.
She's one of those girls, I thought.
The girl in front of me rolled her eyes.
"Name's Angelina Johnson," she said, extending a hand. I accepted it. "This is Alicia Spinnet and Lee Jordan. Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum over there are Fred and George Weasley."
"The infamous Fred and George Weasley," one of them, the shorter one, corrected.
"Yeah don't forget we saved your arses last year. You should be thanking Fred and I," the other one added.
Angelina punched each of them in the shoulder.
"Listen, sods. I think you're forgetting the whole reason you two have all us as friends in the first place."
"Blimey, Ange. Do you really have to hit us every time we displease you?" George said, rubbing his arm. I giggled.
"So! What's your name, beautiful?" Fred said, snaking an arm around my shoulder.
"My name's Katie. Katie Bell," I said kindly, smiling at them all.
"Well, Miss Katie Bell, I should warn you," Angelina said to me. "If you wanna join this group, you don't know what you're getting yourself into. The twins are nothing but trouble for girls and teachers alike. Lee's their wingman. Alicia nice enough once you get to know her. And as for me-"
George snorted. "Good luck," he said, winking, getting him another smack from Angelina.
I smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry about me, Angelina. I think I'll fit in just perfectly."
And so, our unbreakable bond was built.