Chapter 4

Thanks for taking time to read. Here is chapter 4. Hope you enjoy.

Amy woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. She went to have a bath and then she got dressed. She wore a maroon checkered skirt, her school white shirt tucked in, black open cashmere cardigan, white socks and black Mary Jane shoes. She left her wavy hair down with a white Alice band.

She decided to change into her uniform on the train. She checked her room and her Hogwarts list yet again to make sure she had everything she needed.

"Ok Kira. Time to get into your cage." Kira puffed indignant as she didn't want to.

"I know you don't want to but it will be easier travelling. You could get hurt or lost." The owl glared at as if to say, 'how dare you think I can get lost'. Amy laughed. The antics of that kitten…

"Come on Kira. I promise to give you your favorite snacks." Kira eventually agreed. Amy took her trunk downstairs.

At 9 she called a cab to come and pick her up. The cab came and without a good bye from her relatives, she got in and left. She reached King's Cross at half past ten. The taxi driver helped put her stuff in a cart and she thanked him paying with a tip.

Amy looked around wondering what. Professor McGonagall had told her she was to go through a wall of platform 10 but she wasn't sure. She could get lost. She looked around to see if she could find other students or witches.

As she searched a group of people passed just behind him and she caught a few words of what they were saying. "— packed with Muggles, of course —" Amy swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to 3 boys and 2 girls, all with flaming red hair. Each of them except the smallest girl was pushing a trunk like Amy's in front of her — and they had an owl.

Amy whooped inwardly and pushed her cart after them. They stopped and so did she, just near enough to hear what they were saying. "Now, what's the platform number?" said the mother.

"Nine and three-quarters. Mum can I go?"

"You are not old enough yet Ginny now be quiet. Percy you go first."

What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Amy watched, careful not to blink in case she missed it —but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Sorry, George, dear."

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. She watched carefully and she saw him disappear followed by his twin. So the barrier worked.

She decided to try it out herself before asking for help. She held her cart and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid. She started to walk toward it. People jostled her on their way to platforms nine and ten. She walked more quickly. She was going to smash right into that barrier and then she'd be in trouble — leaning forward on her cart, she broke into a heavy run — the barrier was coming nearer and nearer — she wouldn't be able to stop — the cart was out of control — she was a foot away — she closed her eyes ready for the crash — It didn't come . . . she kept on running . . . she opened her eyes.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Amy looked behind her and saw a wrought-in archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. She had done it. Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Amy pushed her cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat.

She passed a chubby brown haired boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again." "Oh, Neville," she heard the old woman sigh. A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd. "Give us a look, Lee, go on." The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg. Amy pressed on through the crowd until she found a nearly empty compartment near the end of the train. There was one girl sitting in the compartment who had her head buried in a book.

"Hey, can I join you?" asked Amy. The girl looked up surprised and smiled nodding. Amy entered and sat down before the girl. the girl had bushy brown hair, brown eyes and fair skin.

"Hello. I am Hermione, Hermione Granger." As she talked Amy noticed her front teeth were rather large.

"I'm Amaryllis Potter but you can call me Amy." said Amy settling.

"You are Amaryllis Potter?" said Hermione eyes wide. "I have read about you — I got a few extra books for background reading since I am muggle born. You're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

"I have read them too though I wonder how they know so much about me. No one really knows what happened that night. All I know is I lost my parents and I don't like being famous because of that."

"I'm sorry. About your parents." said Hermione softly.

"It's ok."

Hermione then turned to the cage where Kira was sleeping her head under her wing. "Is that your familiar? She is really pretty. I have only ever read about snow white owls. I couldn't get a familiar myself because I used all my money on books." said Hermione with a blush. It was clear Hermione loved her books.

"Yeah. Her name is Kira."

Amy looked outside and saw the family of red heads she had seen on the train station talking with the tall boy already in his uniform with a golden P badge on his robes. He must be a prefect. The train began to move and the little girl waved at her brothers and sister before the train picked up speed.

The journey

The door of the compartment slid open and the red head girl came in. She had long straight red hair with bangs, blue eyes, pale skin with lots of freckles and a slim tall frame wearing blue jeans, a green t-shirt written Hollyhead Harpies on it and sneakers.

"Hey, can I join you? Everywhere else is full." said the girl.

"Sure. Take a seat." said Amy. The girl came and sat beside Amy.

"I am Jennifer Weasley but you can call me Jen. Everyone does.

"It's nice to meet you Jen. I am Amy Potter and this Hermione Granger and Kira."

"The Amaryllis Potter! Wow! I am so glad to meet you. Ginny was so jealous you were going to be in my year." said Jen excited and Amy smiled at th girl's obvious excitement.

"So you do have the scar?" asked Jen shyly. "Yeah."

"Can I see it?" said Jen. "If that is ok with you." said Jen. Amy pulled back her bangs and Jen gawked.

"Wow! Do you remember anything?" Jen asked again.

"Not much but I don't like talking about it. I wish I didn't remember though."

Jen blushed. "I am sorry about your parents." said Jen.

"It's alright. I live with it."

The door suddenly opened. "Hey, Jen." It was the identical Weasley twin brothers. "Who is that with you?" "Amaryllis Potter and Hermione Granger." said Jen.

"It's an honor to meet you Miss Potter and you too Miss. Granger." said the twins and Amy smiled. "We are Fred and Gorge the most awesome Weasley twins."

"Pleasure to meet you." said Hermione and Amy waved. "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train — Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Wow! How big is it?" asked Jen.

"Really big! Enough to kill Ginny with a glance." said one of the boys. "See you later, then." "Bye," said Amy, Hermione and Jen. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

The 3 began to share about their families.

Jen came from a family of 9 with 7 children altogether. 2 were already out of school. Jen was the 6th and the first Weasley girl in the family for generations and she was treated as somewhat special. Being constantly surrounded by males made her tough but also meant she was well protected. She and Ginny were the only girls and they were very close. Jen's family wasn't well up and with 6 children left to support, it was hard to get anything new let alone go by and a tight squeeze. Her clothes looked to be second hand. Amy could relate with her because she too had to wear old clothes.

Hermione was muggle born and an only child. Her parents were dentists and they seemed to be quite well up. She was very excited to be going to Hogwarts and she had already read a number of books for background studying.

"I heard you went to live with muggles. What were they like?" Jen asked.

Amy was quiet. "Um, not so nice. My relatives I mean." said Amy in a voice that showed she really didn't want to talk about it.

"So what do 2 girls do with 5 brothers?" asked Hermione to Jen diverting attention making Amy grateful.

"Well, I love to play quidditch with my brothers!"

"Quidditch?" said Amy in confusion.

"It's a sport played on broomsticks with 7 players on each team and 3 balls. there is 2 beaters, 2 chasers, 1 seeker and 1 keeper and chasers use a quaffle, beaters use bludger and seeker uses a snitch." said Hermione quickly in one breath. there was silence as both Amy and Jen looked at her eyes wide. "I read about it." she said with a blush.

"You read about everything didn't you?" said Jen in surprise and Hermione turned as red as Jen's hair.

"Well reading is not the same as watching and even more playing. It is awesome. This is my favorite quidditch team. The Hollyhead Harpies. It's an all girls team. At home we always had matches with my brothers. The boys at first didn't want me and Ginny to play but when they discovered us stealing their brooms to practice, they allowed us in the games."

"So how is quidditch played?" Amy asked again and Jen took over explaining the game. It was clear she loved the sport.

"It sounds really dangerous." said Hermione with a frown.

"Most fractures that take like months to heal take only a few weeks with magic." said Jen.

"My dad played quidditch. I read in his journals. He was a chaser. It does sound exciting. I would like to try it." said Amy and Jen beamed at her.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Amy who had a really sweet tooth leapt to her feet, but Jen's ears went pink and she muttered that she'd brought sandwiches. Hermione said they were not good for her teeth. Amy went out into the corridor.

"Um, do you take the card? I am afraid I don't have loose coins?" asked Amy embarrassed.

"Of course dear. I have a swipe right here." Amy sighed in relief. She was going to keep coins just in case. The woman's eyes widened at the gold trust card. Only the richest had the gold cards. She took every type of sweet on the trolley and some water and juice and some pies too and paid.

"Thank you." said Amy and she returned in.

Jen stared as Amy brought all the food back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat. "Hungry, are you?" said jen eyeing the candy.

"Starving," said Amy. "Come on. The lady said they are charmed to prevent tooth decay." said Amy eager to share with what she deemed her first friends and Hermione tentatively took a chocolate. With dentists as parents, she rarely got to eat sweets and chocolates and if she did, they were sugar free…

Amy took some snacks and gave to Kira who hooted in appreciation before she took a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.

Jen took out a rat. Hermione's eyes widened. "What are you doing with that!" she cried.

"You are not afraid of rats are you? He is my pet rat. I got him from Percy. He got a new owl for being a prefect. His name is Scabbers. He doesn't do much except eat and sleep."

"Just make sure he stays away. I am kind of squeamish around them." "Sure."

"What are these?" Amy asked, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?"

"No," said Jen. "They have one good jump in them and they have cards in them of famous witches and wizards. I have a whole collection of them."

Amy took one and unwrapped her Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.

"So this is Dumbledore!" said Amy. He was the man who had left her in misery and she didn't know yet how to feel about that. "Yep. The most awesome wizard ever…after Merlin of course." said Jen. Amy turned over her card and read:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

Currently headmaster of Hogwarts. Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for her defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and her work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

Amy turned the card back over and saw that Dumbledore's face had disappeared. "You could start collecting the cards too. It's fun." said Jen and Amy nodded and began tearing the cards. Soon she had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcraft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. She finally tore her eyes away from the druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"You want to be careful with those," Jen warned. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor like orange, banana, cherry the ordinary ones and then spinach, liver and tripe too." "Eeww!"

"Why would they do that?" asked Hermione aghast. Eating wax didn't seem like a good idea at all.

"For fun I guess. There is even ear wax. That's why I am not too fond of them. George swore he had a booger-flavored one once. I bet he was lying." Jen said.

They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Amy got toast, coconut, baked bean, banana, strawberry, mint, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine and lemon. She already felt full. The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Amy had passed on platform nine and three quarters came in. He looked tearful.

"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad?" When they shook their heads, he nearly cried, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn up. Don't worry," said Amy.

"Yes," said the boy miserably.

"Well, if you see him . . ." the boy said.

"Wait. Let me help you to look." said Hermione. "I will be right back." Said Hermione and she left with the boy. She returned a while later. they had not found the elusive toad.

"Have you practiced any spells?" asked Amy.

"I have and they have all worked for me." said Hermione but Jen blushed and muttered she hadn't.

"Well let's practice some then." suggested Hermione and they took out their wands. They did spells and it became clear Hermione was a genius and she knew a lot of spells.

"You will probably be a Ravenclaw." said Amy to Hermione. Hermione blushed.

"You think so? I want to be a Gryffindor though. Albus Dumbledore was a Gryffindor and he is a great wizard." gushed Hermione.

"Then we will be together. My family has all bee in Gryffindor so I cant see myself anywhere else. Amy will probably be a Gryffindor too I mean she killed 'you know who' when she was a baby. You cant be any braver than that!" said Jen and Amy blushed shrgging.

"You are the first girl in generations aren't you? Maybe you will break that trend too." said Amy.

"I sure hope not but I wouldn't mind Ravenclaw or even Hufflepuff. Imagine me in Slytherin! I might just leave school for good!" Jen said.

"That's the House You-Know-Who was in?" asked Amy

"Yeah," said Jen.

"I hope to be Ravenclaw or Gryffindor too. My parents were in Gryffindor." said Amy.

"So are there other schools beside Hogwarts? Professor McGonagall hinted so." Asked Amy.

"Yes. There are 2 in England, Elton which is in London and Alces in Norfolk. There is 2 in Wales and 1 in Ireland." Said Hermione. Of course she knew about that as well.

"Wow, so how come you receive letters from Hogwarts alone? How do you choose?" asked Amy.

"Not exactly. I got a pamphlet telling me of the schools and their curriculum, school fees and stuff. Hogwarts was the best of them all but also the most expensive followed by Elton. I chose to come here." said Hermione.

"I didn't get that." said Amy frowning. None of them knew why she didn't.

"So what do we do after Hogwarts?" Amy asked interested in the careers after Hogwarts.

"Well there is Merlin University the only University in Britain but the best in Europe. You get to study stuff like law, healing, business, Nature etc but you need to have really good grades to go there. I want to go there. Then there are small colleges and apprenticeship. Charlie's in Romania studying dragons under a selected apprenticeship, and Bill's a curse breaker for Gringotts and he is under apprenticeship as well." explained Jen.

"That sounds just like the non magical world." said Amy.

"Oh, did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet. Someone tried to rob a high security vault." said Jen excited to share some news with them. Amy stared surprised.

"Really? What happened to them?" asked Hermione. Who would be as stupid as trying to rob Gringotts?

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. Dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it." There was silence as they were all in thought.

"What other sports do wizards have beside quidditch?" asked Amy wanting to know everything she could. At that Jen began explaining about chess, gobstones, dueling, flying horse racing etc. Since she loved quidditch it ended being more about quidditch.

As they talked, the compartment door slid open yet again. Three boys entered. One boy was pale with platinum blonde hair, pale grey eyes and pale skin. The other boys were tall and fat and looked more like the pale boy's bodyguards. The boy was looking at Amy with interest.

"They're saying all down the train that Amaryllis Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?" said the boy clearly the spokesman.

"Yes," said Amy not liking this boy one bit.

"This is Crabbe and Goyle," said the pale boy dismissively at the 2 fat boys. "And my name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

Jen gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at her.

"Think my name's funny? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." he looked at Jen with disgust making Amy boil inside. The boy then turned to Hermione.

"Ah and who are you?"

"Hermione Granger." Said Hermione in a matter of fact way.

"Granger? Definitely not a pureblood." said Draco in disgust his eyes leveled at Hermione.

"My parents are muggles." said Hermione proudly.

"I thought so. Letting in muggle borns in… What an outrage…but then again if they are letting in Weasley…."

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" said Jennifer flashing in anger. "Or what freckles?" said Draco. Jen blushed as the 2 fat goons laughed.

"So let's see, a pauper and a mudblood… You could do better Potter. You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." Draco held out his hand to shake Amy's, but Amy didn't take it. She would not insult her new friends.

"I don't need arrogant stuck ups like you to tell me what to do Malfoy. I can make my own decisions. Just so you know, the Potters are way higher than the Malfoys in hierarchy and I don't even recognize the name Crabbe or Goyle so don't go starting wars you can't finish. Now leave." she said coolly.

Draco Malfoy's cheeks had a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. Same goes for all of you. You hang around with riffraff like these, and it'll rub off on you."

"I think I would like them to rub on me and not someone like you. I might stink." she said and this time Draco turned red and scowled. "You will regret this."

"Never." said Amy and they turned to leave.

"I hate him." said Amy slumping on her seat.

"Have you met?" asked Jen.

"No. I just don't like him."

"Who is he?" asked Hermione.

"Malfoy. The Malfoys are dark families that supported you know who. They lied to their teeth saying they were forced when you know who fell. No one believes it." explained Jen then said, "Thanks for standing up for us Amy."

"Of course. You are my friends." said Amy and both Hermione and Jen beamed.

Minutes later a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately. The 3 girls changed into their uniforms.

Jen's was a little faded but fit well. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor. The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform.

Amy shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Amy heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Amy?"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. Amy nodded smiling brightly. "C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Amy thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville sniffed once or twice.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here." There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.

Amy, Jen, Hermione and Neville shared a boat. "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself.

"Right then — FORWARD!" And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass.

Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood. It was so beautiful. They soon got to a large door where Hagrid knocked.

There it is. Next chapter is the sorting and feast. Hope you enjoyed meeting Jennifer.

Jen is talkative, lively but like Ron has her insecurities about herself and her poor family. She is the first girl in the family so she is bolstered by that. Her hang-ups will be different from Ron's.

Review and tell me what you think.