Updated 12/6/15

/ Lily /

I slammed down the lid of my trunk as soon as I finished my packing. I didn't tell Sev this, but I couldn't sleep at all last night! So instead, I spent my time getting ready for the morning.

I lugged it down the stairs, the trunk bouncing against my leg with every step. Once I reached the bottom, I dropped my things at the sight of Sev.

Running to him, I pulled him into a tight hug.

"Why does this feel like all the other years?" I asked, reminded of every start of term before this year's.

"I don't know, little Lily. But I do know that we'll be closer than ever."

Of course we will! I thought to myself. How could we not? He's going to be my teacher for the next seven years.

I felt ashamed at my childlike antics and decided to look at the wall behind Severus instead of at him.

"Now," he began, pulling away, "Your train leaves in half an hour and I have to go. Dumbledore wants me there before the students arrive to help prepare. So, you will have to floo there yourself. When you get there, you will..."

Dropping the black powder into the fireplace, I loudly and clearly stated "Kings Cross Station" and stepped in.

I had flooed into a white-walled room behind a table and some chairs. Stepping around them, I poked my head out the door to see a group of carts standing nearby. I then placed all my things, my trunk, a favorite bookbag of mine, and Aster in his cage, into it.

Wheeling the cart around busily moving muggles, I searched for platforms nine and ten. When I reached them, I stopped. There was no platform nine and three quarters anywhere in between. I spun my head around, taking in every detail of the place, but still didn't find what I was looking for. Frantically, I searched for any other students in my situation and was relieved when I found a group of five or six by a barrier.

Watching intently, I waited to see what they would do. Only, one by one, they... vanished. With only ten minutes 'til, I began to panic. Where had they gone? I shouted inside my head. Then, all of the sudden, it hit me.

"You just walk right on through," Severus had said. "It's much easier than it seems."

So, I lined myself up with the barrier for platform nine and ran straight for it.

On the other side, I was greeted with tons of students and parents sharing their last goodbyes and a large steam engine reading Hogwarts Express. Although, with only two minutes to go, I didn't have time to look for Harry and boarded the train immediately.

Just moments after hauling all my stuff onto the train, I lurched forward as it began its journey. I then went from compartment to compartment and through several cars before finally giving up in finding Harry. Or an empty seat for that matter. Although, I finally did come across something.

Though the compartment was empty, it was trashed out with various candy wrappers and someone's belongings.

Deciding to give it a go, I brushed some stuff off part of a seat and sat down just in time for two bodies to come tumbling in.

"Blimey, Fred! Get off of me!" scoffed a boy with bright red hair, pushing against another boy his age.

"Well, next time why don't you-" yelled Fred (I assume), equally annoyed until he toppled off him to come face to face with me.

After staring at me for a second, he says, "Oi! Never seen you around before."

And he plops down beside me, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

"The name's Fred," he says.

"And I'm George. We're twins, if you couldn't tell," says the other, yet still equally ginger one as he takes his own seat across from Fred and I.

I took in their matching red hair, blue blue eyes, and the few freckles sprinkled across their faces and chuckled. They looked more like my brothers than Harry.

"Yeah, you two hardly look alike," I say. They gave me a small laugh for that one.

"So," drawls out Fred.

"What brings you-" says George.

"-to our compartment?" Fred asks with a smile.

I guess you could say we became fast friends. It wasn't long until they found out I was in fact, the Lily Potter, the reason You-Know-Who was gone. And I learned of their family of nine and what it was like to live with so many siblings. Eventually, though, after telling stories and sharing some great practical jokes, we became tired and fell asleep.

If someone were to enter out compartment, they would walk in to see quite the funny scene before them.

George sat on the floor, up against the seat while I leaned on his shoulder next to him, Fred's head in my lap (though most of his body was sprawled across the seat above him). Candy wrappers still littered the floor and someone's trunk that had fallen and was splayed open on the other seat.

A knock on the door awoke me and I got up, shoving (gently) the two Weasleys off of me to see who it was. Opening the door to compartment, I saw a nice looking older lady outside of it.

"Anything from the trolley, dear?"

By then, both the twins stood behind me, ordering chocolate frogs and some licorice wands.

Not quite sure what to get, I asked the lady if she had anything sour.

"Oh, we have some acid pops!" she says.

Handing me one, I paid seven sickles for that and some Fizzing Whizzbees before taking a seat with the boys.

"You know," said Fred, pointing at the green, spotted lollipop in my hand. "I gave one of those to Ron a couple years back and it burnt a whole right through his tongue! Mum was furious."

After I gave him a disbelieving look, he nodded as if to say, True story.

A little more cautious, I stuffed the sweet into the back pocket of my jeans.

In a couple of moments a bushy-haired, brown eyed girl showed up.

"Have any of you seen a toad anywhere? A boy named Neville's lost one and I've been going around seeing if anyone's found it yet," she says, making a face at our trashed out compartment.

When we all shook our heads no, she made to leave, but I stopped her, hoping she might've seen Harry.

"Have you seen a young boy with shaggy, dark brown hair by any chance?" I ask, letting go of her sleeve.

"Yes," she replies. "He's in a compartment three up from yours." With that, she moved onto the next group of students, searching for that poor boy's toad.

"Be right back, guys!" I called out to Fred and George before leaving.

Finding Harry in no time, I rushed in to give him a hug. But before he could say anything, I punched his arm.

"Ow!" he exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"For not writing!"

Looking hurt, he says, "But I did."

"Only once."

It was then, did I notice the other person inside the compartment. Immediately, I knew it to be Ron Weasley by George's description. He was going to be in my year.

"Hi," I said, sticking out my hand. "Lily Potter."

Almost like he was meeting a real world celebrity or the girl of his dreams (not sure which), he shakily grabbed my hand.

"H-Hii," he let out faintly.

Right after that awkward introduction, someone entered the compartment.

"Is it true?" asked a pale boy with the whitest blonde hair. "They're saying all down this train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry, staring at him.

"I'm Draco. Draco Malfoy," he said, putting emphases on Malfoy like it was supposed to mean something or sound impressive.

Ron gave a slight cough, probably to hide a light snicker.

"Think my names's funny, do you?" Draco sneered. Then, he looked from Ron to me. "No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

"Well, excuse me, the Weasleys happen to be a great wizarding family!" I said standing up. "No need to wonder what kind of family you come from. Obviously you're a stuck up prat who's daddy does everything for you. And by the way, I happen to be Lily Potter," I say before adding, "And you're as pale as the walking dead with the hair of an eighty year old!"

Fuming, I left the area to go back to my own compartment, only taking slight amusement in the shocked expression of Draco.

When I got in, one glance at my frazzled appearance and face flushed scarlet, George laughed.

"Oh, looks like someone got Lil's knickers in a twist," says Fred.

I replied by throwing one of my shoes at him and he returned the favor. Our little war was cut short though when the same girl from earlier came once again.

"Better get your robes on," she told us. "We're almost there."