Once again, I do not claim to won Harry Potter.
Well, I finished another chapter which is exciting. This time there are actually characters you'll recognize. Hopefully they all seem right, its really difficutlt trying to imagine them all as only ten or eleven. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for sticking around after the first chapter.
Off To Hogwarts At Last
September first found our young Elizabeth at Kings cross, loaded down with a trunk full of new books and robes. A blanket hid her owl, Charcoal, from view in her cage sitting atop the trunk.
Her eyes focused on a boy and his father as they walked into an arch in the middle of the station, the signs on either side read platforms 9 and 10. A glance at her ticket once again confirmed she had to find Platform 9 ¾. She rolled her trolley closer, watching another child and their family disappear; suddenly sure this was the place and once more wishing her mother had elected to see her off instead of Just dropping her outside the station and leaving.
She stood awkwardly to one side, listening to someone explain to a red headed girl that she and her parents just had to "walk straight at the wall between 9 and 10." The girl nodded, pointed her trolley at the wall, flashed a nervous smile, and went for it, breaking into a jog a few strides out. She seemed to dissipate just as she should have run smack into the wall.
Elisabeth deciding to take this as a success judging by the calm expressions on the other family's faces, lined up behind them to wait her turn. She watched as the girls somewhat confused parents passed through, followed by the other family who were obviously much more used to the process. One deep breath later and Eliza took off at a sprint; her eyes squeezed shut just before the wall loomed in front of her.
It felt as though she ran through mist, coming to a stop when the air felt normal once more, she opened her eyes, finding herself on an entirely separate platform, a bright red, and black train sitting expectantly on the rails, Hogwarts Express painted in gold lettering on the front.
A smile broke her face as she started down the platform; she was on her way at last.
Elizabeth passed family after family, the parents wishing their children a good year and ordering them to behave, while other children were struggling to load their trunks and other belongings into compartments. She passed by the red head talking to her parents, all excitement and a boy with a shock of brown hair that looked more like a rats nest smiling up at his own parents. Feeling out of place, Elizabeth kept walking, finding an empty compartment towards the back, she slid the door open and heaved her trunk inside, carrying her owl in with her after it. She settled everything in a corner, knowing she would never get it up on the racks above the bench seats on her own.
Elizabeth sat down, staring out the window at the platform which was beginning to empty as students finished their goodbyes and boarded the train. She heeard a soft hoot from her left. Apparently Charcoal was tired of being unable to see, her hoots became angrier until Eliza removed the blanket; folding and placing it on the bench beside her. The owl twittered in satisfaction and tucked her beak under her wing, obviously now content. Her actions elicited a head shake from Eliza, just as the compartment door opened and the train whistle blew outside.
"Excuse me, but most everywhere else is full, do you mind if I join you?" It was the redhead from the platform entrance.
"Oh- no, go right ahead." Elizabeth responded nervously. The girl gave a small smile in response.
"Great, I'm Lily Evans," she thrust her hand out as she spoke, "You are?"
"Elizabeth Wood," she replied as she took the other girls hand, "Pleased to meet you."
"Pleasure's mine. So, are you excited that we are finally off to Hogwarts? My parents were shocked when I first got my letter, they're both muggles, you see."
"I'm excited, nervous too though. You know about the sorting ceremony right?"
"Sorting—"Lily was cut off as the door was opened once more, standing in its place was a pale, black haired boy with a rather crooked nose.
"Lily," he half panted, "I was wondering if you had arrived alright."
"Oh, Severus, How are you. I got on just find, had to ask how to get on the platform of course, but there was a family perfectly happy to help."
The boys eyes dropped to the floor briefly and he muttered, "I can't believe I forgot to tell you about that, sorry."
"It's alright. Oh, what am I thinking! Severus, this is Elizabeth Wood, Wood, this is Severus Snape, my best friend." Lily smiled at the two as they shook hands awkwardly, only to be interrupted a moment later by someone in the hall attempting to grab Snape's attention. The girls couldn't see who it was and were surprised, especially Lily, when Severus was all but dragged from the door way and back down the train.
"Well that was strange," Lily's forehead was wrinkled from frowning after the boy she had dubbed her best friend. "Hmm, anyways I believe we were talking about the sorting ceremony, any ideas where you'll end up?"
"Not really, I'm a bit worried about it to be honest. I think my mum wants me to be a Gryffindor but I doubt I will be."
"I'm sure where ever you end up she'll be happy, from what I hear the only house to really watch for is Slytherin."
Their conversation continued, Lily keeping things light as they discussed the classes and books and what they hoped to find at Hogwarts.
Meanwhile, across the hall in another compartment sat four boys. None of them knew it yet, but they would be quite the little group in the near future, but I digress.
The first boy was rather lanky, as though he hadn't grown into his limbs yet, with messy brown hair. To be honest, messy isn't a strong enough word, disaster would be more accurate. He introduced himself as James Potter, running a hand through his hair as he spoke, only adding to the problem at hand.
Sitting next to him was Sirius black, his eyes almost brooding behind his lanky black hair and a cocky smile fixed on his face. In a way, he seemed the odd ball of the group, being from a pure-blood family who believed they should stay that way, not to mention a long line of Slytherins. While the Potters, he knew to have a long line of Gryffindors to have walked Hogwarts halls, looking at their families the boys were complete opposites yet they held the same mischievous twinkle in their eyes.
Across from them were two other boys. The first was rather tall for his age with short brown hair and an expression caught between excitement, joy, and melancholy, almost as though he was unsure how to react to the boys surrounding him. His name was Remus Lupin, and next to him sat Peter Pettigrew. The boy was rather round, both around the middle and through the face; his hands were clasped nervously in his lap.
"So, I expect you'll be sorted into Gryffindor, Potter, but what about you two," Sirius gestured at Remus and Peter, "any ideas?"
Remus just shrugged, "We'll all know soon enough."
"What about you Black, planning on adding another Slytherin to the long line?" asked Potter, somewhat jokingly despite his firm expression.
"You never know, sometimes traditions are meant to end." Sirius cocked a smirk.
The two boys stared at each other for a while before suddenly bursting into fits of laughter, caught up in the absurdity of the moment. Remus just raised an eyebrow while Peter looked more nervous then ever.
The train kept moving, hurtling them all towards their futures.
Thanks for Reading! Please review, especially with advise about the characters.