It was finally September 1st; Lizzie was going to be going to Hogwarts today.

She'd barely been able to sleep the night before and had been lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling, for a few hours. When her alarm finally went off (at 7 o'clock), she just about jumped out of bed to get ready. Only to trip on her duvet and stumble across the floor.

Righting herself, she ran to her wardrobe to find the clothes she had picked for today. It was reasonably simple since all her other clothes were packed in her suitcase, which was leaning against the wall by her door.

Once she was dressed, she sat at her desk to write her reply to Draco, which he'd sent last night but by that time she'd been too tired to do anything with it. They'd continued to owl since their argument of sorts over how he treated Ernie, but they hadn't actually seen each other. Obviously they were meant to have on her birthday but she'd point blank said no to her father about that.

Draco had found it hilarious when she owled him saying so the next day.

Thankfully, Draco had been being much kinder and less (not much less, but less) of an arrogant little toe rag as well. She liked to think it was a permanent change, but she knew it was probably only because it hadn't been that long since they had the 'argument'.

Hogwarts would bring everything to light.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she pulled Draco's last letter towards her to reread it so she could actually reply to anything he had said.

Elizabeth,

We're going to Hogwarts tomorrow! I mean you know that, of course you know that. But still, we're actually going now!

Do you still have no idea what house you'll be in?

Lizzie had rolled her eyes at that the night before and did so again.

I know, I know, you don't. I just thought you may have found something more out.

Will I see you at the platform? Or on the train? I'll see you at some point tomorrow, but whether we actually get to talk or we both see each other… hopefully we'll see each other.

Owl me again before you leave. We'll figure out how to continue talking when we get to Hogwarts.

Yours faithfully,

Draco Malfoy

Lizzie grinned, not because of the letter, because of the prospect that she was actually going to Hogwarts today.

Dipping her quill into her ink pot, she began to write her reply.

Draco,

For the ten billionth time, I don't know what house I will be in. I will let you know later after the sorting ceremony.

I'm sure I'll see you at some point today, but like you said it may not be a mutual thing.

So this is my reply to your letter, and yes, we'll figure out how we're going to continue talking once we reach Hogwarts.

Love Elizabeth

When she entered the dining room, Lizzie looked straight to Ernie, finding that his look of excitement most likely practically mirrored hers. They grinned at each other as she walked to her seat and sat down, Minky scurrying to her side to play a plate of bacon, eggs, and hash browns in front of her.

Lizzie risked a glance at her father to find him staring at his plate. She sighed, he was obviously still angry about how she'd been behaving recently. She looked towards her mother, and was surprised to catch her eye and be sent a smile since Sophia had seemed pretty disappointed in her too recently. Lizzie smiled back briefly before digging into her breakfast, trying to contain her excitement and not squeal.

Towards the end of the meal her father cleared his throat, making them all look at him.

"Obviously you are both going to Hogwarts today," he directed this at Lizzie and Ernie, "and you will be there with other wizards of your age who will have parents in the magic community." Lizzie slightly narrowed her eyes, wondering where this was going. "Elizabeth, don't look at me like that," he snapped, apparently having seen her change in expression, "your friendship with Draco may not be enough for us to keep our somewhat elevated status within the pureblood community." Cue an internal eye roll on Lizzie's part. "You both need to conduct yourself well during your stay at Hogwarts, we cannot risk any negativity reaching the ears of any other parents." Cue another internal eye roll.

"Yes, father," Ernie said meekly.

Lizzie sighed, "of course, father."

Their father nodded, seemingly pleased with the response. "Good, now go and finished packing. We will be leaving at 10.30."

Ernie and Lizzie stood up and walked out of the room, silence enveloping them like a blanket. Neither of them spoke until they were almost outside Lizzie's room.

"Well done," Ernie began, making Lizzie stop and turn to head to face him. "For not arguing with, father."

Lizzie nodded stiffly, "there just didn't seem much point."

"You weren't moody or anything though."

"I was," Lizzie promised, "just on the inside."

Ernie gave her a grin and a light push towards her bedroom door, "go and finish packing."

Lizzie stumbled slightly because of said push but moved towards her door anyway, "how do you know I haven't finished packing?"

"Because it's you, you won't have."

Lizzie stuck her tongue out, but went into her room so she could finish packing for Hogwarts.

At 10.30 Lizzie shut her door and began walking down the hall, dragging her trunk full of belongings behind her. She was almost at the top of the stairs when Ernie came bounding up, "Lizzie, father says hurry up."

Lizzie huffed and shot Ernie a look that quite clearly told him to shut up.

Ernie snickered at her and turned his head over his shoulder, "she's coming now."

"Elizabeth, hurry up," their father called.

Another huff escaped Lizzie, "I'm coming now."

By the time her and Ernie actually got down the stairs and into the hall, they were only a few minutes late and Lizzie knew they were apparating there so that wouldn't matter. What did matter was how irritated her father looked.

"Elizabeth, I told you 10.30."

Lizzie hung her head, "I know, and I'm sorry I'm late."

"You're lucky we're apparating to the platform, young lady, or we would almost certainly be late."

Lizzie resisted the urge to say how, if they hadn't been apparating, she would have made sure she was on time, and they would be at least 20 minutes early already.

"I will be apparating with your luggage," their father said. "You'll both be apparating with your mother." They nodded to show their agreement, before he took both their trunks, walked outdoors, turned on the spot and disapparated.

Their mother sighed and held out a hand for each of them to hold. Once they had done so, she too turned on the spot to apparate to King's Cross Station.

They arrived in an alleyway, just off of the street the station was on. Ernie and Lizzie's father was waiting with their trunks, and together they set off onto the street and towards King's Cross.

Once they entered the station, Lizzie's father put their trunks onto a trolley and wheeled it towards platform 9.

"Where's platform nine and three-quarters?" Ernie asked, seemingly puzzled by the lack of obvious train platform.

Lizzie heard her mother laugh quietly as her father kept quiet and just continued leading the group towards platform 9.

As they came up to the space between platforms 9 and 10, Ernie repeated his question. Their father stopped and looked at him, "it's right here," he said as he gestured to the space between the two platforms.

At the look on Ernie's face, Lizzie couldn't help but laugh; although she was also quite confused.

"Walk into the barrier," their mother stated.

All that did was cause a lot more confusion for Lizzie, and Ernie judging by the face he pulled at their mother's words.

"Watch your father, then we'll follow," she said.

Cue a lot more confusion for the twins.

"Just watch," Sophia reassured them.

Lizzie focused her attention on her father as he wheeled the trolley with their trunks on towards the barrier between the two platforms. He slowly began to walk towards it, as though he was just another person on the platform, getting a train to wherever. Just as he was about to reach the barrier, he disappeared.

Lizzie blinked in shock, before glancing at Ernie and seeing her shock mirrored on his face.

They both looked up at their mother, who was smiling at them.

"I still don't really understand," Lizzie confessed.

"You walk through the barrier to reach platform nine and three-quarters," her mother clarified.

Lizzie nodded in understanding, "oh right." She then noticed Ernie smirking at her out of the corner of her eye and elbowed him in the side.

"Come on, we want to get you onto the train in good time," their mother said, pulling them along the platform.

Lizzie couldn't help but be slightly nervous as she was pulled closer and closer to the barrier. Surely they would just splat against it? She knew her father had passed through it, at least she assumed he had.

Just when the crash should be about to come, Lizzie shut her eyes, but then the world went oddly silent.

When she finally felt able to open her eyes she did, and had to hold back a gasp.

There was a steam engine waiting by the platform, it was scarlet and had the words 'Hogwarts Express' written on the side. The platform itself was extremely crowded, there were owls and cats everywhere, trunks being hauled onto the train or resting by their owners.

"Elizabeth, Ernest, Sophia, over here," Lizzie heard her father call, and her mother pulled her and Ernie towards her father. He was a few carriages down the train, and had apparently already begun loading their trunks into it.

"Thank you, father," Lizzie said quietly as she scanned the platform for any sign of Draco's lightly coloured hair. She heard Ernie echo her thanks and returned her focus to her parents, knowing they would probably have to say goodbye soon.

As expected, her mother pulled Ernie in for a hug, leaving Lizzie to say goodbye to her father.

They shared a glance and her father stiffly reached his arms out to draw her in for a hug, which he held for a few seconds before letting go and stepping back. "Have a good time at Hogwarts, Elizabeth."

"Thank you, father."

There was an awkward silence between them before Lizzie's mother reached out to say goodbye to her, leaving Ernie to say goodbye to their father.

Her mother gave her a long hug, before pulling back to look at her. "Look after your brother. He'll look after you too. Just enjoy yourself at Hogwarts." It looked like she was starting to tear up slightly, "write to us whenever you can."

"I will, mother," Lizzie reassured her.

Her mother nodded, and pulled Lizzie in for a final hug. As they broke apart her father stepped over, "Sophia, let the children get onto the train."

Her mother nodded once more, and stepped away from Lizzie, allowing her and Ernie to climb into the compartment.

"Now both of you stay out of trouble, we don't need any bad word reaching pureblood parents," their father said. Lizzie nodded, knowing it was less trouble just to agree. "And make sure you keep on top of your studies," Lizzie nodded again. "Good, have a good time," and with that he shut the compartment door before turning on the spot and apparating away with their mother.

A silence fell over the compartment.

"You know the train isn't leaving for another 10 minutes, right?" Ernie questioned.

Lizzie nodded, "I think he had some work to do or something…" she trailed off, knowing Ernie knew as well as she did that that wasn't true.

"Just think though, Lizzie, we'll be going to Hogwarts soon."

Lizzie smiled, "I guess."

Ernie shot her a concerned look, "are you okay?"

Lizzie nodded once more, "just nervous I guess."

Ernie apparently got the hint and fell into silence. Lizzie wasn't sure why she felt so off, maybe it was just nerves, or the fact that she didn't feel as though she had had a proper goodbye with her parents. Lizzie brushed it off as nerves and turned to Ernie, "can you help me get a book out of my trunk?"

Ernie looked at her incredulously, "you're going to read for the journey?"

"Not for the entire thing, I will talk to you a bit."

Ernie shook his head at her, but stood up to help her nonetheless.

She through him a grateful glance, "thank you."

In silence they both moved her trunk onto one of the seats and Lizzie opened it, retrieving a random book from its contents before shutting the trunk once more.

Just as she'd done this, there was a quiet knock on the door to their compartment. They both turned to face the door as a boy with a worried look on his face slowly slid the door open.

"Could I sit with you? I don't really know where else to go."

Lizzie nodded as Ernie said, "of course."

The boy smiled slightly and dragged his trunk in, "thanks. I'm Justin Finch-Fletchley."

"I'm Ernie Macmillan, that's my sister, Elizabeth."

Lizzie glared at him before facing Justin, "Lizzie."

Justin nodded, and smiled once more.

Ernie helped Lizzie put her trunk away before gesturing to Justin as to whether he wanted any help. Justin nodded gratefully and the two boys did so before both sitting on seats: Ernie next to Lizzie, and Justin opposite him.

"Are you first years too?" Justin questioned.

Lizzie nodded, leaving it to Ernie to make conversation.

"Yes, are you?"

"Yes, I don't really know what to expect."

"Well we don't know that much either, our parents never told us anything."

"My parents didn't know anything until I did."

That made Lizzie look up, "are you muggle-born?"

"Muggle-what?"

Ernie took conversational lead once more, "muggles are non-magic folk."

Justin looked slightly less confused, "oh, yes, I suppose I am then."

Lizzie nodded, effectively ending her part in the conversation, and turned to her book to find some part of it to read for the journey.

Justin began to speak again, clearly aiming his question to Ernie, "are your parents magic then?"

"Yes, our entirely family are."

Lizzie heard Justin begin to speak again, but there was a slight jolt and the train began to move. They were going to Hogwarts.