Chapter 3: Jade

"Listen, you can get on the train by yourself, right? I have to go soon."

"Yeah, mum, I'll be fine," replied Jade Summers, though she was a bit annoyed that her mother couldn't even clear her schedule long enough to see her only child off to a new boarding school, and a magic one at that. She shrugged it off, turning and making her way across the busy platform. She was used to it, her father hadn't even come to the station. She tossed her curly blonde hair over her shoulder and grabbed the end of her heavy trunk, attempting to hoist it onto the train. She dropped it painfully on her foot a couple times before a boy about thirteen years old came over to help.

"Here," he said, lifting it into the train for her. He was a bit short and skinny, with messy jet-black hair and bright green eyes. She thought he was dreamy.

"Thanks. What's your name?"

"Albus Potter. You?"

"Jade Summers."

"You a muggle-born?"

"Yep. I can't wait to learn magic! It's going to be so great!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you'll love it. My sister's in your year, maybe you'll make friends with her. I got to go, see you."

"See you!" she called after him. I will. She thought. I'll make sure of it. She got onto the train and found an empty compartment, thinking about the year ahead. She would be learning magic and everything that would come with it, and be with lots of people her own age. This was going to be fun! Sure, she would be away from her parents, but it wasn't like she saw them anyway. The compartment door slid open, revealing a short boy about her age with very short brown hair and big, scared brown eyes.

"C-can I s-sit here?" he stuttered.

"Sure!" She said cheerfully. "I'm Jade Summers!" He wasn't her type, but he seemed nice enough. What was she going to do, say 'no, you can't, go find another compartment'?

"I-I'm Andrew D-Dudeck." She started talking to him animatedly about many things. School, houses, Albus, Quidditch, (she had read as much as she could about the wizarding world before she came), grades, Albus, books, chocolate, and Albus were just a few of the subjects she hit upon. He didn't say much, just nodded occasionally, and she was fine with that.

"Summers, Jade!" Jade trotted up to the stool happily, relieved that all you had to do was put on a hat, and sat down. The hat was placed on her head, falling over her eyes, and she jumped about a foot in the air when she heard a small voice in her ear.

"A muggle-born, ay? Haven't had that many this year, and they are interesting to sort."

Oh, you talk do you? She said to it in her head. She figured it would make sense, a hat that read minds to see where they belong. That's awesome! Why are muggle-borns interesting?

"Well, they don't have pre-made biases against certain houses. It gives me much more room to work. Now let's see . . . you figured out that I read minds, and you asked about my muggle-born comment . . . you'd do well in . . .RAVENCLAW!" She smiled happily as she made her way down to the blue and bronze table among loud applause. She sat down with some other first years and began to talk. It was going to be a good