Smoke billowed from the Hogwarts Express, surrounding the other families on platform 9 ¾.Mom and I waded through the crowd. I was pushing a trolley piled high with my school supplies. Mom was trying hard not to cry, but every time I looked back she would smile and nod encouragingly. When we reached the train, I turned to say good-bye to her.
Mom took one look at me standing there and burst into tears. She reached out and wrapped her arms around me and rested her forehead on my shoulder. Mom was only 5'3", while I was somewhere around 5'9". At some point when I was fourteen I had stopped being her little girl. Mom and I looked nothing alike. She had short, curly blond hair; I had long, straight black hair. She has blue eyes, I have dark red eyes. She's perky and friendly, I'm...not.
Sometimes I wonder if we're actually related.
"Good-bye..." she mumbled, staining my dark blue sweatshirt with her tears.
"It's fine Maman." I said, pulling out of her embrace. "I'll see you next summer."
She nodded, whipping her eyes on a tissue. "Remember to send letters!"
"Mm, 'kay." I said, waving as I turned and walked into the train.
"Oh! And don't let anyone see your-"
I stuck my head out the door.
"I know, Mom."
"Ok..." she trailed off, looking at me.
I waved. "Au revoir."
She waved back and I finally entered the train.
◦(҉)◦
Inside the train was one long hallway with compartments on one side. I dragged my trunk down the hallway, looking for an empty compartment. My warped reflection stared right back at me from the stained glass. Finally I found an empty room and went inside. Putting my trunk down, I sat on the end of one bench and spread my legs out in front of me. I don't know how long I sat like that, starring out the window watching the scenery roll by. Once we we're out of the city, the landscape changed to rolling green hills dotted with sheep and old cottages. The sky was a dull cloudy grey.
Definitely not Montreal...
I reached up a hand and pulled on the chain of my necklace, freeing it from inside my sweater. On the little gold chain was a plain gold cross with a small red crystal imbedded in the center. I fingered the little cross, running my thumb over the crystal. A shiver ran down my spine.
From outside I could hear voices and they were coming closer. Suddenly, the door to the compartment opened and there stood a sharp faced boy with platinum blond hair and a pug-faced girl with short black hair. Behind them where two boys that resembled a cross between the Hulk and a gorilla.
I stared at them.
"Can I help you?" I asked, indifferent.
"Who're you?" the boy in front asked rudely "I've never seen you before."
"I'm new." No emotion. Don't bug me man, I'm a rock.
"Oh!" his faced brightened "Well, you must have heard of my family before. My name's Draco Malfoy." He stuck out his hand.
"Never heard of you." I replied, starring at his hand. Draco held his hand there awkwardly for a second before pulling it back.
"Don't bother with girls like her Draco!" The girl beside him whined, practically hanging off his shoulder. "She's probably just a mudblood."
"What did you call me?" I asked, annoyed.
"A mudblood." The girl sneered. "A witch with Muggle parents. You know, non-magical."
If only you knew...
"I'm not a mudblood." I said, standing up. I towered over her and Malfoy. "Now if you could just leave... You're stinking up the air."
"I'm a Prefect!" said Malfoy indignantly. "You can't talk to me like that."
"Out. Now." I pointed at the open door.
"What's this?" the girl asked, pointing at my necklace. Suddenly, before I could stop her, she reached out and grabbed it.
"HEY-"
Snap.
The cross dangled in her hand from its broken chain.
"What's that you got there Pansy?" Malfoy asked, moving to get a closer look.
The atmosphere in the room became heavy. The shadows seemed to dance and gather around me.
No. Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no.
"Give it back. Now." I whispered. Something was wrong with my voice. It sounded almost like a growl. My eyes burned and it was like I was looking down a long tunnel.
The four of them turned to look at me. Eyes widened as they took a step back.
"Wha-?" shrieked Pansy, trembling.
"Give. Maintenant!" I stuck out my hand.
Weird. I didn't know my nails were that long before...
Pansy stumbled back from my clawed hand. Dropping my necklace, she and the others turned and ran from the compartment.
I stumbled forward and fell to my knees, the pain in my head suddenly killing me. Reaching out, I grasped the cross in one hand and sighed as my headache went away and my eyes stopped burning. As I pulled myself back up to lay down on the bench I noticed that my hand was normal again. Holding the cross up to the light, I couldn't help but notice how the light glinted of the red crystal evilly.
What am I doing here...?
◦(҉)◦
Not even five minutes later the door opened again and I turned to see a boy and girl standing in the doorway. The girl had frizzy brown hair and an intelligent look in her eyes. Beside her stood a boy taller than I was with a mess of bright red hair and tons of freckles.
"May we come in?" She asked politely.
