Part I
"Have a good school year, sweetheart." A middle–aged woman kissed her daughter on the cheek and navigated her through the crowd. Like so many other mothers, this lady was seeing her first year off.
The little auburn haired girl was had one foot in the scarlet steam engine when she turned around and looked back at her mother. Grinning, she said, "Don't worry, Mum. I promise to write." The woman smiled weakly. "And where do you think Hermione is?" the girl added.
"Probably in the prefects compartment, darling." Giving one last wave, she wandered into the crowd, checking back only once to see her daughter.
A few meters away, a similar scene was occurring. "Consider yourselves privileged to be going to Hogwarts." A young blonde woman was reprimanding a miniature version of herself.
"Of course, Mum!" An older girl with violently ginger hair joined them.
"I'm glad you think so, Tanya," their mother replied with a genuine smile. She pulled them close to her chest, then pushed them toward the train. "Go, go now!" Both girls were startled to see their mother crying.
"Mum-"
"Go!"
Wordlessly picking up their baggage, Tanya and her younger sister got on the train. Finally, after two wrong turns, they got to the prefects compartment. "Well, Tia, I guess I stay here," Tanya said briskly, trying most obviously to conceal nervousness.
"All I can say is good luck!" Tia said, putting her bag down to embrace her sister. Tanya looked Tia straight in the eye.
"Look, times are different now," Tanya said sternly, gripping Tia by the shoulders. "That's why we're here, that's why we're not at Westford anymore."
"Westford doesn't exist anymore," Tia said quietly.
"Just – just be careful, Tia. Be careful." Shoving her compartment door open, Tanya heaved her bag in then motioned for Tia to leave.
Tia picked up her bag and walked away to find a compartment. Upon seeing one empty, she knocked and opened the door. "Hey, can I sit here?"
A blonde turned around and fixed her bright blue eyes. "No. You're not my friend." she said coldly. Two others blondes turned round to face her.
"Um, all right, then," Tia said in a small voice, loping off as quickly as possible. Rejected on her first attempt; was she really ever going to settle here?
At the end of the train she finally found a compartment that appeared to be void of occupation. Heaving her bag behind her, Tia dragged herself onto it.
"Hi," said a voice to her left. Looking up, Tia saw she was not, after all and unfortunately, alone. The other girl had auburn hair and bluish eyes, and her face was dusted with freckles. "I'm Hermia Granger." She made a face. "But most people call me Mia."
"Um, Tia M. Ryburn," she said breathlessly, having managed to heave her bag onto the luggage rack. "The 'M' stands for Mariposa. My mum's Spanish," she explained, sitting opposite Mia. And as clichéd as the line may seem, Tia Mariposa Ryburn had just made a new friend.