Chapter 3

The woman wrote me back shortly asking why I had lied about my name, which gave me pause. What if she looked into the school records at Beaubaton's? But then, a stroke of genius occurred. I wrote again telling her that there was a specific family of death eater's, the Avery family, that had a personal vendetta against my own family and that I wished to remain discreet, if that was alright with her. She gushed and said that yes, of course I'd have a place at her school! So here I was, two weeks later, in the middle of King's Cross Station on September the first.

It was nearly ten o'clock and I still had not found this platform 9 ¾. I had considered asking one of the men working at the station, but when I approached one, he looked down at me and frowned in distaste at my clothes. I hadn't really thought through my escape, and so had only packed wizard clothing. I also only brought wizard money and so had to beg for lodging, seeing as I didn't know of any wizard establishments in England. Besides Diagon Alley of course, but I had no idea how to get there, so I gave up and slept in alleys. As a result, I think I must've looked rather bedraggled. I had been cleaning myself with a quick scourgify whenever I was certain there were no muggles around and I had been wearing the same set of robes for nearly three days now. Because I didn't know where anything was, Headmistress McGonagall had said she would provide everything I'd need upon arriving at the station, so I looked for this platform nearly an hour ahead of when it would leave for the Headmistress. After fifteen minutes of looking, I decided to sit and wait between platforms nine and ten and listen to the passersby.

"Get up and move you slimy piece of muggle filth" broke me out of my daydreams. As far as first impressions go, this guy was a total arse. No "please". All insults, and a disgusting sneer that marred his otherwise handsome face. I was NOT muggle filth! WAIT A SECOND! He had said "muggle" just now. He was a wizard? Ugh. I assumed all wizards were kind and welcoming, if they were on the side of the light. I guess I really was quite sheltered.

" Yes sir" I mumbled before crawling away. He didn't know, but I was still watching him drag his trunk towards one of the columns. What the heck was that bumbling jerk doing now? I followed his eyes as he looked around the plaza before charging towards the pillar.

"STOP!" I hadn't even realized I was going to speak until I did, but my voice rang out over the whole station. And stop it did. Everyone stopped everything and stared at the little girl lying in rags with her hand outstretched. Even that nasty boy had stopped and stared. They all stared at me for a few more awkward moments before the bustling started again. The boy waited until no one was looking anymore before running over to me and grabbing me, rather harshly I might add, by my arm. He dragged me back to the column before hissing in my ear "What did you see?". I just stared up at him a moment then let my magic out a little to touch his own. He gasped and dropped me.

"You're a witch?" he asked, a bit incredulously.

"No. I'm the freaking queen of France you bloody git." I said. I was rather proud of myself for that one, though it was neither cunning nor witty. Then I turned away from him and walked towards the column. I reached a hand out to touch it and my fingertips sank right through the bricks. To say I was shocked would be an understatement, but the boy was still watching so I hid my surprise. Instead, I walked right through and into an even louder platform than the one I had come from. He came through behind me.

" You cant be more than, what, thirteen? Why haven't I seen you here before? Are you French?"

He rambled and rambled and I let him. I didn't really care what sort of assumptions the sod made about me, I just wanted to find the Headmistress.

"Take me to the headmistress." My own voice sounded strange in my ears. Louder than usual and surprisingly full of confidence, though I was secretly scared out of my mind.

The boy just sneered again and stared before pushing me, again quite roughly, towards an older woman in starched looking green robes.

"Ah you must be Miss Rene. It is a pleasure to meet you. And escorted by Mr. Malfoy? Making friends already." Her voice curved up in pitch when she got to the jerk's name, almost as if she was surprised to find that he had been courteous?

I curtsied low to her and said "The pleasure is all mine Madame. Thank you for having me here."

She laughed rather gaily after that, a sound which was rather at odds with her cool demeanor. The boy looked surprised to see her laugh also and began studying me again. Why hadn't he left? She brought me to the train and we boarded it together.

"You are sixteen, correct?"

"Oui, Madame."

"Then you will be in your sixth year here at Hogwarts. You will be sorted here in just a moment, although perhaps I should let you get dressed first?"

And with that said, she pulled her wand out of her sleeve and enlarged a small trunk. It grew to the same size as the boy's and she pulled a rather short looking black skirt and a button up white shirt out of it. I guess that was me being sheltered, once again.

" Here you are, dear. The Heads' bathroom is just down the hall and on your left. You can shower there and get dressed. I will send our head girl in about an hour to check on you."

"Thank you Madame." I said with another low curtsy.

I grabbed the clothes and also reached in the trunk to find undergarments and shoes. I took them down the hall with me, which was curiously deserted. When I got to the bathroom, the door was locked. The portrait just next to it was staring at me as if I were a dolt.

"Password?" the Victorian man drawled.

"Umm I'm rather sorry, but I don't know it. I was just with the Headmistress and she said to clean up in here."

"Well this is the heads' bathroom and I certainly can't let just anyone in. No matter how much they need a bath." He stated again. Pompous git. What was it with English men? Did they all have a sneer like that?

Just as I was about to put that sodding arse in his place, I felt a large, warm hand on my shoulder and heard a rather pleasant voice say "Nox".

I spun around and saw a familiar looking face, though I couldn't quite place him. His black shaggy hair fell across his forehead and covered his pale green eyes a bit. He smiled behind his round glasses and said "That's the password. Nox. Just so you know."

I couldn't really think of much to say after that so I just mumbled thanks and opened the door. You can't judge me too harshly when it comes to my social skills now. I was locked away in a house for my entire life with a house elf as my only companion, remember? I was just brushing past him when he grabbed my shoulder again.

"I'm Harry by the way. I don't think I've seen you before. Are you a fourth year? What's your name?"

The familiar boy looked at me expectantly with his hand awkwardly suspended between us. Finally I took it and he began to shake it, which I thought was a rather strange custom. "I'm Valentine." Was all I said. I was tongue tied. I mean, I'd never really met a nice boy before. I'd met the Malfoy jerk and he's the only boy I've ever met besides my Dad. So I just ran through the doorway and slammed it shut in his astonished face. I breathed out in relief as soon as I heard his footsteps walk away and I turned on the taps.

Harry

What the heck was that? I was just walking along when all of a sudden, I came upon this tiny, rather dirty looking girl getting chewed out by the portrait guarding the head's toilet. When I watched the tears start to glisten in her eyes, I realized she reminded me an awful lot of me way back when I lived with the Dursleys. She couldn't have been more than fourteen and she looked like she'd been living out of a trashcan for weeks.

So I did something I wish someone had done for me when I was being chewed out by Uncle Vernon. I helped.

"Nox." I told the portrait with a rather disapproving glare. She twirled around to face me and I realized how close to tears she really was, how terrified she seemed to be.

She didn't say anything and she kind of seemed to avoid looking me in the eye so I just tried again.

"That's the password. Nox. Just so you know." I waited for her to say thank you or something with a rather idiotic smile. She might've but all I heard was a soft mumble before she made a break for the bathroom. I was so surprised that I kind of grabbed her. I felt really bad immediately so I tried to brush it off. I put out my hand and introduced myself.

"Harry by the way. I don't think I've seen you before. Are you a fourth year? What's your name?" I left my hand out there and waited again, this time hesitantly. I tried to keep my hair covering my scar, but once I told her my name, well, there was no hiding who I was. So I waited for her to turn into a giggling fangirl, but she just looked at my hand with a confused expression before she put her's out the same way. I shook it while she whispered "I'm Valentine."

Then, she ran. Again.

"Valentine." I heard someone whisper. I looked around before I realized it had been me.