Chapter Ten: We Board the Coolest Train Ever and Catch a Criminal

We put our luggage into the designated car and went in the search of an empty compartment. Once we had found one, we sat down and chatted for a bit.

"I'm so excited!" Squealed Vi. "We're actually going to Hogwarts! I can't wait to get on that Quidditch pitch!"

"I can't wait until the lessons start," I said. "Learning actual magic will be amazing!"

Then, our compartment door slid open. Fred and George stood grinning in the doorway.

"Just checking in on our new pranksters-in-training." They said in unison.

Then they turned to Vi.

"You must be the famous sister that Willow here told us about. You assisted in the prank, correct?"

Vi shot me a grateful look, turned back to them and said,

"Correct. My name is Victoria Ostler."

"Pleasure to meet you." said Fred (or maybe George).

"No, the pleasure is all mine," She said, flattening down the skirt that she was wearing before standing up and reaching out both hands to shake the twins'.

When they shook, the twins jumped slightly and said "Ow! My hand!"

Vi smirked and held up her hands. I saw two hand buzzers attached to them.

"THE PLEASURE TO PRANK YOU!" She said. Then, in a proud tone, she added, "The pranksters have been pranked. Muggle hand buzzers triumph!"She bowed and sat down with a flourish of her hands.

Fred and George were silent for a moment before they both grinned widely.

"Well, we don't know-"

"If we should be very ashamed-"

"Or very proud." They finished.

Me and Vi hi-fived.

"Oww!" I yelled. "Ha! I didn't think you would fall for it." Said Vi. "You never saw me take off those buzzers, did you?"

She smirked at me.

Fred and George looked at her in awe and said "This one is good. She has real expert pranker potential!"

Vi smiled her 'I am up to something' evil smile. "Thank you," she said, her voice dripping with deliberate sweetness.

"Well, sorry, but we need to be going. Lee's got a giant tarantula down in the middle of the train. See ya!" said twins. They left our compartment.

A few seconds later, the compartment door opened once again and this time, Ron Weasley entered.

"Anyone sitting there?" He asked, pointing to an empty seat. "Everywhere else is full."

We all shook our heads, and he took a seat.

"I'm Ron Weasley. What are your names?" He asked us. "I'm Willow Ostler." I said. "I'm Victoria Ostler." added Vi. "And I'm Harry Potter." said Harry.

At his words, Ron gasped. "You're Harry Potter?" He said, amazed. "Do you have the scar?"

Harry pushed his bangs off of his forehead to reveal his lightning scar.

Ron stared at it in wonder. "So that's where You-Know-Who …" "Yes, but I can't remember it." replied Harry. "Nothing?" asked Ron, sounding hopeful. "Well – I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."

"Wow," breathed Ron.

I had already learned this conversation by heart, so I tuned it out slightly but still listened for when Ron mentioned Scabbers, although we tried some Wizarding candy.

"…..His name's Scabbers, and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff – I mean, I got Scabbers instead." said Ron.

"I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…"

He had just taken out the battered old wand and pointed at Scabbers when the door slid open for the third time today, and in walked Hermione Granger.

I held my breath to stop myself from screaming. This was the first time that the Golden Trio had met!

"Hello, my name is Hermione Granger. And you are?" She asked. "Willow Ostler, Ron Weasley, Victoria Ostler, and Harry Potter." Said Vi, pointing to each of us in turn.

Then Hermione noticed the wand in Ron's hand. "Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

Ron looked surprised.

"Er – all right." He said.

Clearing his throat, he chanted, "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

Nothing happened.

Me and Vi grinned at each other, and then she said, "We can show you real magic, if you like."

"Well, all right then, go ahead." said Hermione.

Then we took out our wands, pointed them at Scabbers, and said "Flavo Capillum!"

The rat turned a violent shade of yellow.

"Oh, bravo! That's how you do real magic," she added to Ron.

Vi and I shared another meaningful look.

We both knew what to do.

"Okay, stand back and away from Scabbers." said Vi.

Ron placed Scabbers on the chair and everyone backed away.

She gave me a nod.

Now.

I raised my wand and cried "Animalis Revelio!"

Then, Scabbers shuddered and grew into Pettigrew right before our eyes, causing cries of shock to come from the others.

Vi quickly raised her wand and said, "Petrificus Totalus!" pointing it at Pettigrew.

His limbs snapped together and he fell on his face.

While Vi raised her wand again and said "Incarcerous!" to tie him up, I told Hermione to go get a teacher.

A minute later, she returned with Professor McGonagall in her wake.

"What happened here?" she asked sternly.

"Please, Professor, Ron was showing us a spell to make Scabbers, his rat, turn yellow, except it didn't work. Then Willow and Victoria did it and told us to stand back, and did a spell to turn Scabbers into this man. They Petrified him and bound him and told me to get a teacher." explained Hermione.

Professor McGonagall looked impressed, but also confused. She turned to us.

"Explain."