Disclaimer: I don't own any of J.K's characters, I do own my made up ones though.
This is for Ducky'sgirl4eva because she PM me and asked me for another chapter. She better be happy because I'm writing this instead of my English homework. I prefer this though.
Please excuse any spelling errors, and R&R.
Chapter 2
I woke up in my dimly light room. My mind felt foggy and my left arm seared with pain. I felt dizzy, so rested my head back into my pillow and searched my scrambled memory for the previous night's events.
I suddenly remembered the piercing red eyes that had seemed to glare straight through my soul. At the mere memory of them I felt paralysed with fear. After sitting for a moment, breathing deeply, I began to remember more. My family. Dead. That hooded figure, and....and pain. Yes, I remembered pain like no other rushing through my body. The eyes, the eyes that where so UN human, and yet, there was something remotely human about them. Although, I didn't quite know what. They puzzled me more than anything had ever before.
As I puzzled the sun began to rise and the room grew gradually lighter. When it seemed a good time to get up without making it look suspicious I began to get out of bed and slowly get dressed for the train to school. My forearm was still tender and I had to move it with care as I got washed and went downstairs.
About an hour later I was ready for the train. Me and Alfie put the trunks in the car and began the short drive to kings cross station. I really was lucky still to have him as a cousin. We had this strange way of understanding what the other was going to say or how they felt. We where more like brother and sister.
The journey to the station took no time at all. Once there I took my trunks out of the boot of the car and began to walk to the platform.
5 minuets and a few funny looks later we arrived in between platforms nine and ten. The barrier was hidden from muggles here. We ran through to the other side where a huge red steam engine was waiting for all the Hogwarts students to board.
I left Alfie at the barrier; he knew I didn't want to have to make a scene out of saying goodbye after the events of yesterday. It was like we had this mutual understanding between us. I put my luggage away and went to find an empty compartment on the train.
After finding one and sitting down did I allow myself time to even think. My parents had gone, so had my sister as far as I was concerned, even though they hadn't found a body yet. They weren't going to come back. It felt as if I was all alone and no one could ever understand the pain I was going through. I seemed that I could never function again normally because a huge hole had been blasted in my chest when I heard the news. I felt I'd never be complete again, always missing something.
I must have sat there not noticing anything because the next time I looked up was at the sound of my compartment door sliding open and two red headed boys entered. Both where identical in every way, even their diabolical grins where the same. My heart, which had sunk all the way into my shoes, lifted slightly at seeing my two best friends. I think I even mustered a smile, but it must have not lasted long because upon seeing my face both twins' grins disappeared, only to be replaced by looks of concern.
"You ok lotta" Said George Weasley, sliding into the seat next to me.
"Ye, you don't look so good" Said his twin seating himself opposite us.
I immediately felt tears well up in my eyes that I had been trying so hard to keep back in front of Alfie all the way to the train. I wiped them away quickly; never show emotions, I told myself silently, they make you look weak.
"I'm fine" I said a little too quickly.
They both exchanged glances. There seemed to be some understanding between them that I didn't have any idea about. Maybe it was their twin thing.
"You sure 'cos you don't look it, in fact, you look awful" said George in a soft voice. "No offense" he added quickly, realising what he had said I might have take the wrong way. I smiled; they could always make me feel better by just being there. The tears came into my eyes again, this time I let them flow. I sobbed into my hands as all the emotion came out.
I felt an arm slip around my shoulders protectively and another hand rubbing my arm. I flinched, my arm was still throbbing. Once I'd composed my face to hide the worst of my pain did I begin to explain.
They both sat there listening, their faces growing grimmer and grimmer as I went on. I left out the part about my arm and the hooded figure with the eyes. Once I'd finished a new flood of tears came up again which I stopped quickly. Hearing it told another time seemed to make it even worst. The pain renewed.
I looked at the boys faces. Fred had moved from the seat opposite me to, crouched on the floor in front of me and George had one arm around my shoulder. They both looked solemn. Neither said anything for a while, both wearing the same face.
At last Fred spoke, though in a serious voice I had never heard him use before.
"Lotta, We're so, so sorry. We know it must be awful. What is going to happen to you at the holidays? You can't go home to an empty house."
"But it's not going to be empty; Alfie's going to be there" I protested, but only half-heartedly.
"You don't want to have to stay at home with only him there though. I can bet you he'll make himself work to get over his second loss." Said George this time. I knew he was very right, but I didn't want to have to think about this now. I sighed and they seemed to get the message as they let the subject drop.
The rest of the journey was uneventful. The boys played a couple of games of exploding snap and got some treats of the lunch trolley as it came round.
I fell asleep after that. It was dreamless and fitful, but I saw a pair of red piercing eyes.
I woke up as we rolled into Hogsmead station near the school. Our company seemed to have increased while I was asleep. In the compartment now were not only the twins and I but Ginny Weasley, Fred and George's younger sister and Hermonie Granger. I knew Hermonie from her first year and it was Ginnys first year now. They smiled at me when the saw I was awake. There was also a tall black boy with dreadlocks sitting near my feet. My other best friend smiled at me sympathetically when I looked his way.
"We heard" He said simply "I'm so sorry lotta, it must be awful."
Before anyone could say anything else people where walking past our compartment signalling it was time to go. We all got up and followed the crowd onto the cold platform.
We lost the younger ones in the hustle and bustle of the crowd but managed to stay in a four till we got a carriage and were on our way to the school.
We talked Quidditch in the carriage till we got to school. Fred and George where beaters for the Gryfindor team and I was a chaser. Lee was the commentator for all the matches. Much to the displeasure of Professor McGonagall his commentary highly ranged to his own house. Last year he had been very close to swearing loudly into the loudspeaker. I enjoyed the chance to take my mind of other matters and just relax a little.
We got to school and went to sit at the house tables. The Great hall was the same as all years; the enchanted ceiling was the perfect imitation of the starry sky outside. I sat down next to Lee and waited for the sorting to begin.
It was even worst for me to sit through this year than most because my sister, Emma-lea, was meant to be waiting in line with all the other nervous first years, hoping to get into their family house, but that moment would never come for my younger sibling. I felt a fresh wave of tears spring into my eyes again and wiped them away quickly, just as the sorting hat Bellowed:
RAVENCLAW!
For a blonde haired girl who looked slightly dreamy.
I sat through sorting and cheered when someone was put into our house. I tried to cheer especially hard when Fred and George's sister was put into Gryfindor. In the end I began to enjoy myself, shouting and clapping hard seemed to help.
Once the last person was sorted into Huffelpuff and the last cheer faded away did Professor Dumbledore stand up to make his speech. He always made one at the begging of term feast. It was almost tradition.
He stood up, his long wispy grey beard swaying as he moved, his friendly blue eyes twinkling.
"I do not want to keep you all from this wonderful feast that we are about to have placed in front of us but I do have a few announcements. Firstly, I would like to welcome our new defence against the dark arts teacher, Professor Lockhart." He gestured to a man who had shoulder length golden wavy hair and very white teeth that stood up and bowed slightly. There was some applause, mostly from the girls, before Dumbledore began again.
"And I would like to make know to any new student, that the forbidden forest on the grounds is out of bounds. Some older pupils might do well to remember this as well." Dumbledore's eyes flickered towards where the twins' and I where sat. We had been known to wonder into the forest at times when bored. In our second year we even sent some first years in, telling them that if they got to the centre of the forest, they would find a great fortune. It had cost us a months worth of detentions and one of the Huffelpuffs had disappeared, only to be found a week later, chased out by a angry centaur.
"And now," Began Dumbledore again "Let us eat."
With a swift flick of his wand all the tables let out an involuntary groan as they where packed with all the food you could think of. It would take me forever to list them all. We all dug in, to busy eating to talk.
Once we had all eaten our fill and the dishes had disappeared from the tables did we talk. I felt remarkably better with a full stomach, I grinned at my friends who had all seemed to have started talking about the first thing we where going to do. The ideas going round where giving Professor Snape, our greasy haired potions teacher, a little hint that he needed to wash his hair or giving the new DADA teacher a little welcome gift.
"Well, we may as well do both, there both good ideas" I chipped in. We all agreed to give professor Snape the hint first.
Once Dumbledore had let us all go, we made our way to the common room. We met Harry Potter and the twins' brother, Ron, at the portrait hole. We hadn't seen them on the train or at the feast.
It seemed they had been locked out of the barrier at platform 9 and 3 quarters and had driven (Or should I say flow) Mr. Weasleys enchanted car to school. They crashed into the wimping willow upon their landing, Ron had broken his wand (I Know it sounds wrong on Sooooooo many levels but you know what I mean) And they had both been given detention. We walked into the common room and a storm of clapping erupted from everyone as harry and Ron stepped through the portrait hole. Apparently the news had travelled fast and everyone wanted to congratulate them on their narrow escape from being expelled.
I said goodnight to my friends and headed up to the girls dormitory I shared with Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell. I got on pretty well with my roommates, well all except Katie, who had been kicked of the Quidditch team and replaced by me. She'd had sour grapes ever since then really.
I quickly put on my pyjamas and plonked myself down in bed. As soon as my head touched my pillow I was asleep.
