Chapter 10: The Hogwarts Express.

The final two weeks before the children were to return to Hogwarts went without major incident, but with many minor incidents, which are to be expected when you live with Fred and George Weasley.
"It was just a small explosion." Seemed to be a fairly common saying around 12 Grimmauld place with them in it.

Samantha and Alexis nervously packed their things as everyone got ready to leave for King's Cross station.

After they'd jammed the last of their books and quills and such into their trunks it was time to drag them downstairs. They would be leaving soon.

"You know, this is much harder to do when you can't use magic." Alexis grunted as she pulled her trunk towards the last flight of winding stairs.

"Don't remind me." Samantha wined.

It was then that they heard a familiar voice from behind them.

"Ah, let us." Fred smiled and with a flick of his wand Samantha's trunk rose into the air.

"Don't worry, we'll help you poor souls out until your birthdays." George winked and flicked his wand causing Alexis' trunk to float carelessly down to the entranceway where Arthur Weasley was already waiting.

"You're too kind!" Samantha replied sheepishly as Fred took her arm and wrapped it around his.

"Hey, if you're lucky maybe we'll keep helping you out even after your birthdays…for good measure." He smiled innocently causing Samantha to blush a mad shade of red.

George sort of glared as they walked off down the stairs and Alexis smirked at him.

"Don't worry, I won't make you hold my hand. Thanks for taking care of my trunk though!" she laughed.

George looked at her and grinned, flicking his wand again as he extended his arm and wrapped it around hers.

"What kind of escort would I be if I didn't" he began but was cut off by a loud sharp yell of "BLOODY HELL, MAN!" and the shrieking portrait of Sirius' lovely mother shouting "MUDBLOODS! CURSED BLOOD TRAITORS LEAVE THIS PLACE! FILTH! FILTH! DISGUST!"

George went more pale than usual as he and Alexis ran down the stairs to see Sirius and Arthur clenching the curtains shut with disgruntled looks on their faces and Ron propped against a wall, rubbing his head with Alexis' trunk spilled on the floor at his feet.

Fred, being the only one amused by this, just smiled widely at him and began a slow clap, which no one else picked up on

By the time they all got to the train station and through the magical barrier onto platform 9 ¾'s they had almost missed the Hogwarts express.

Samantha and Alexis looked at each other and then nervously at the large red train before them as everyone loaded their luggage into the compartments.
"Come on then!" Harry smiled, taking them both by the hand. "It's time to go."

Once onboard, seeing as how both Ron and Hermione had been chosen as Gryffindor house's prefects they were forced to join the others in the prefect compartment. Ginny tugged on Harry's sleeve as she passed and went
"Come on, let's find an empty one."

"Go on Harry!" George insisted, shoving Harry towards his sister. "We'll take care of Sam and Lexx. They're in our year, we'll introduce them to a few people." He said, convincingly.

Harry looked to his sisters for approval and they just shrugged.
"We'll see you when we get there, Harry!" Alexis assured him and she and Samantha gave him a quick hug before walking off in the opposite direction down the corridor with Fred and George.

"I hope those two don't get them into too much trouble." Harry said nervously as he walked with Ginny towards a slightly open door.

"Believe me Harry…I think they can handle themselves." Ginny gave him a knowing look as she slid the compartment open to see an odd looking young blonde girl sitting alone. She was looking dreamily out the window and holding a copy of a strange looking magazine called The Quibbler, upside down.

Harry glanced at Ginny as she nodded and shoved him into the compartment.

"Hello Luna!" she said sweetly.

The girl turned her head and replied in an airy tone, "Hello Ginny, how was your summer? Oh my..." she said as her eyes fell on Harry whom had sat across from her. "Harry Potter!"

Ginny leaned back and waved someone over as Harry smiled weakly and extended his hand to Luna.
"Yes, yes that's Harry." Ginny smiled and pulled a tall boy with rather large ears into the compartment with them. He was clutching a rather warped and dangerous looking plant.
"And this is Neville!" she said. "Why don't you uh, tell us what that is there Neville." She pointed to the plant.

"Oh!" Luna smiled, looking quite taken with either the boy or the plant, no one could be sure.

"Oh, well!" Neville began; he looked curiously at Luna as he sat on the far end of the seat beside her, with her upside down magazine and her wand tucked behind her ear. "This is a mimbulus mimbletonia! Fascinating stuff really, see when it feels it's in danger…" he went on.

Ginny sat next to Harry and caught his eye. They exchanged a brief smile and Harry mouthed the words "thank you."

Ginny shrugged and folded her arms.

"Any time, Harry."

Alexis observed everything as she and Samantha followed the Weasley twins past countless compartments full of young wizards wearing uniforms emblazoned with red, blue, yellow or green badges across them. She smiled at the small nervous first years clad all in black, because like her and Samantha, none of them yet knew their home.
As they were being led further and further towards the back suddenly a compartment door slid open and a tall handsome blonde boy stepped out, shoving past Fred.
"Watch your step, Weasley. I wouldn't want your filth to rub off on me." He hissed.

Fred looked as though he was trying not to throw an old-fashioned punch and George matched his expression of rage.
Alexis watched her sister give the boy a dirty look, simply for his arrogance but for some reason when he locked eyes with her she couldn't do anything but stare at him with bewilderment.

His eyes were the most intense blue she had ever seen.

His lip quivered slightly as they stared at each other for a moment and then he walked off without saying a thing.

Alexis watched him go before turning back to face her sister whom fixed her with a knowing look.
"You're something else." Was all Samantha said before the boys grudgingly kept leading them towards the last compartment on the right.

The whole way, mumbling things like "Should have hit him." And "Bat bogey hex."