A/N:- I do not own Harry Potter or anything J.K Rowling wrote. But unfortunately for Emily, I own her! =D
This chapter is beta'ed by vampqueen27.
The Journey to Hogwarts
Soon it was September First. Emily was sad to leave the Burrow. She had the best time of her life there. She wished she could spend every summer in The Burrow. But according to what Tom and Harry told her, she would have an even better time in Hogwarts. She couldn't wait to go to the school. She packed all her stuff.
On her last day at the burrow, Mrs. Weasley cooked Harry and Emily's favourite things including something which was Harry's favourite , treacle pudding. Not that she didn't like treacle pudding, but couldn't Mrs. Weasley make something she liked too? She had just started realizing how much importance Harry got. Fred and George rounded off the evening with a display of some kind of magical fireworks ; they filled the kitchen with red and blue stars that bounced from ceiling to wall for at least half an hour. Ginny later told her that they were called Filibuster fireworks. Finally they all had a mug of hot chocolate and went to bed.
It took a long time for Emily to fall asleep. She could hear Ginny's soft breathing which meant she was already asleep. She looked at Ginny and made sure she was really asleep and opened Tom's diary. She had decided she would not show Ginny the diary. What if Ginny thought she was weird and stopped being her friend? Even Tom told her to make this her little secret. Tom was slowly becoming her biggest confident. She would tell him everything. She opened the book and started writing. It had become a daily ritual for her to write at least twice a day.
Hello. I'm back.
Hello Little Emily. How was dinner?
Dinner was good. Mrs. Weasley made mine and Harry's favourite dishes.
Yours or Harry's?
Emily hesitated for a second. What did Tom mean? Now she came to think of it most of them were Harry's favourites.
Umm….All of them know Harry better . After all they know me through Harry!
Of course! But isn't Ginny your best friend?
Emily suddenly felt uncomfortable.
Goodbye. We have to get up early tomorrow. I'm so excited! Tomorrow is my first day at Hogwarts!
I'm sure you will have fun. I have a feeling this year is going to be very interesting for all of us. Goodnight dear Emily.
Emily closed the little diary and thought 'What did Tom mean by interesting?'
According to Mrs. Weasley, they needed an early start so she woke them all up at dawn. At first Emily didn't understand why Mrs. Weasley woke them up so early. She soon understood why.
Mrs. Weasley dashed about in a bad mood looking for spare socks and quills; people kept colliding on the stairs, half-dressed with bits of toast
in their hands. Emily banged into Ron on the stairs and she almost fell down the stairs. It was quite understandable as they were the ones who were the most sleepy and were walking around with their eyes closed. Harry caught her at the right time and said concerned, "Em are you okay? Try and open your eyes and walk. And please help me pack!" He pleaded.
It seemed the boys didn't seem to get the idea that they were supposed to pack the previous night. They were all looking for their things which irked .
"Fredrick Gideon Weasley! I thought I asked you to pack last night!"
Emily had a feeling she was forgetting something. She took a last look around Ginny's room. She spotted Tom Riddle's Diary and felt a surge of relief. How could she forget something this important?
She could hear Mrs. Weasley's voice from downstairs. "Where is Emily?"
She quickly pocketed the dairy and ran downstairs.
Finally everything was done and they were finally ready to go. Emily wondered how nine people, seven large trunks, two owls and a rat were going to fit into such a small car.
"Umm, Harry, how are we going to fit?" Emily whispered to Harry.
"That's what I'm wondering!" Harry exclaimed.
It seemed Emily had forgotten one tiny detail. Something called magic existed. It seemed Mr. Weasley had added his own special features.
"Not a word to Molly." Mr. Weasley whispered to Harry and Emily as he opened the. Trunk and showed them how it had been magically expanded so that the luggage fitted easily.
Emily opened the car door and her mouth popped open. The back seat was atleast double the size it actually is. The passenger seat in the front resembled a park bench.
"Umm…I'm guessing that's how." Harry told Emily as he appeared next to her.
Emily nodded mutely.
When at last they were all in the car, Mrs. Weasley glanced into the back seat, where Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Percy were all sitting
comfortably side by side, and said, "Muggles do know more than we give them credit for, don't they?" She, Ginny and Emily got into the front seat. They were pretty comfortable too. "I mean, you'd never know it was this roomy from the outside, would you?"
Mr. Weasley started up the engine and they trundled out of the yard, Emily turned back a last look at the house. She quickly realized it wasn't her last look. They were back because George had forgotten his box of Filibuster fireworks. Five minutes after that, they skidded to a halt in the yard so that Fred could run in for his broomstick.
"Ah no more interruptions!" Mrs. Weasley said barely controlling her temper. "I told you boys to pack last night, didn't I?" She glared fiercely at Fred and George.
Mr. Weasley glanced at his watch and then at his wife. "Umm Molly Dear? We are running a bit late. If I could just-
"No Arthur-
"No one would see - this little button here is an Invisibility Booster installed - that'd get us up in the air - then we fly above the clouds. We'd be there in ten minutes and no one would be any the wiser -"
"I said no, Arthur, not in broad daylight -"
Invisibility booster? Flying? Oh yes, Harry had mentioned something. She wished Mrs. Weasley would let him fly the car. But maybe she was being sensible. But what if they got late and they missed the train?
They reached King's Cross at eleven forty. Mr. Weasley dashed across the road to get trolleys for their trunks and they all hurried into the station.
"We have plenty of time. Children just stay together." Mrs. Weasley said calmly.
Emily looked at her. She didn't look so calm.
Harry had told Emily during the summer that the platform for Hogwarts Express was nine three-quarters. He told her that you had to walk through the solid barrier between platforms nine and ten. Emily thought Harry was joking but he seemed serious enough right now. Emily remembered last year when The Dursleys had left Harry alone in the station. He didn't even know how to reach the platform! Luckily he met Weasleys and they helped him.
"Percy first," said Mrs. Weasley, looking at the clock overhead, which showed they had ten minutes to disappear casually through the barrier.
Percy strode briskly forward and vanished.
Emily's mouth popped open. He had just vanished through that wall! Harry and Ron chuckled quietly from behind.
Mr. Weasley went next; Fred and George followed.
"I'll take Ginny and Emily and you two come right after us," Mrs. Weasley told Harry and Ron. Harry gave Emily an encouraging smile. He probably realized how nervous she was. What if she banged into the wall? What if she was not eligible for Hogwarts?
Mrs. Weasley grabbed both Ginny's and Emily's hands and started walking. Just then a large group of tourists came swarming in front of them. By the time they left there were only two minutes left.
"Come quickly now." Mrs. Weasley muttered irritated.
Emily's heart dropped to her stomach. The wall was closer now- still closer- she will hit the wall any second now-she closed her eyes and waited for the crash but there was no crash. Emily opened her eyes slowly and gasped. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Emily looked behind her and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. She was on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. She couldn't believe it.
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the thinning crowd. The crowd mostly consisted of parents and younger siblings to see the students off with a few scattered children in a hurry here and there to get onto the train. She looked at the clock. There was one minute left. Why wasn't Harry here yet?
Mr. Weasley spotted them and waved them over.
"There's hardly any time left! Come on girls quick! Where are the boys?" He seemed a bit panicked.
All there of them rushed over. .
"Get on to the train!" Mrs. Weasley said looking around.
"But Harry-" Emily started worried.
"Don't worry about Harry. You get on the train!" Mrs. Weasley cut across her giving her a heave onto the train. Ginny was already on the train and Mr. Weasley was loading their trunks.
The train had started moving slowly. Emily ran and Ginny gave her hand for Emily to catch. Emily caught her hand and got onto the train. They both heaved a deep sigh.
"Where are the boys?" Emily said now panicking.
"Maybe they got in from somewhere else. After all, even we were late." Ginny said uncertainly.
"I hope so." Emily said quietly. How will Harry get to Hogwarts if he missed the train?
Ginny took the handle of trunk and said, " Come on Em! We need to get a compartment!"
Emily mirrored her actions and started pulling her trunk and followed Ginny.
All the compartments were full. Most of the children were in their compartments. Some of them were scattered onto the corridor.
"Hey Ginny, Emily!" Fred-or was it George? shouted out.
"Would you mind helping us?" Ginny huffed angrily.
Fred( Or who Emily thought was Fred) shrugged and said, "Yes, we would."
"That is so mean." Emily said out of breathe. Gosh, these trunks were heavy!
"Hey we have to do something!" Fred said indignantly. "Watch out for the red slytherins." He added whispering.
"We didn't say anything!" George said loudly.
"Come on Em. These people are useless." Ginny said pulling Emily with her. Emily scrambled after her.
They moved along to the end of the train until they found a compartment with only person in it. Ginny let out a sigh of relief and entered.
It was the boy from Madam Malkin's. He was just as excited as the last time. The only addition was a camera around his neck.
"Hi! Remember me? You are Ginny and Emily right?"
Emily smiled widely. "Yup, Colin right?"
"Can we sit here?" Ginny asked.
"Sure! I though I would have to spend the whole journey alone!"
"We though we will have to spend the whole trip standing!" Emily said entering.
They somehow managed to keep their trunks in the baggage tier and sat down.
"So how many brothers or sisters do you have?" Colin asked the girls.
""I have six brothers. I'm the only girl." Ginny said smirking.
"Really? Six brothers! Wow! You Emily?"
"I have an elder brother. His name is Harry." Emily said apprehensively. Maybe now he will make the connection and find out she was Harry's sister.
"That's weird. I heard about some Harry Potter that day in Diagon Alley. I have a younger brother Dennis. He is two years younger than me and a sister Magaret. She is one year elder to me. She is not magical. Seeing the signs we think my brother is but we don't know for sure." Colin said shrugging.
"Even my brother is a year older than me." Emily said. "He is in second year." She had a sinking feeling. Would he be able to attend his second year?
"My eldest brother,Bill is not in Hogwarts. He is a curse breaker. Then Charlie is working with dragons in Romania. Percy is in sixth year. Then Fred and George are in fourth year. Finally Ron is in second year." Ginny said.
"Your brothers seem pretty cool!" Colin said amazed.
"You wouldn't say that if you have to live with them." Ginny laughed.
"Do did you read all your books?" Emily asked nervously.
"No! You did? I just went through them!" Colin said panicking.
"I just flipped through them while Emily almost learnt all of them." Ginny said teasingly.
"I just wanted to be at par with the wizarding kids." Emily mumbled.
"We wizarding kids don't know much more than you guys." Ginny said.
"If you say so." Colin said nonchalantly but Colin and Emily looked a less nervous nonetheless.
"So which house do you think you will be in?" Colin asked.
"My whole family has been in Gryffindor. I sure hope so I'm in Gryffindor." Ginny said looking a bit nervous for the first time.
"I'm sure you will be in Gryffindor." Emily said soothingly. "I want to be in Gryffindor. Harry is in Gryffindor and he told me both our parents were in Gryffindor as well."
"What do you mean he told you?" Colin asked curiously. "Didn't your parents tell you?"
"My parents died when I was two months old." Emily said quietly.
"How did- Colin started to say but Ginny shot him a look.
"They were murdered. Me and my brother live with my aunt's family." Emily added catching on to Colin's question.
"So! Colin which house do you want to be in?" Ginny asked trying to change the subject.
Colin caught on and said enthusiastically, "I want to be in Gryffindor. It sounds the best. Any house other than Slytherin will be fine."
"So if we all get what we wish we will be in Gryffindor." Ginny said smirking. "Right Emily?"
"Huh? Yeah right." Emily said trying to smile.
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?"
"Mum packed sandwitches for me and her." Ginny said ruefully like she wanted to buy something but couldn't.
"But we buy something! Come on I will buy something for us!" Emily said catching on. She stood up and walked over to the cart.
"I want to try some of these sweets." Colin said enthusiastically and followed Emily to the cart.
Emily decided to buy the things she liked in the pack given to her on her birthday. She bought some Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Chocolate Frogs and Licorice Wands. Colin bought Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and some other sweets. They paid the cart lady and brought everything back into the compartment.
"Planning to open a shop of your own?" Ginny asked wryly.
"Nope! Planning to eat it all." Emily said cheerfully.
"You said your brothers are a year above you? Didn't they want to sit with you?" Colin asked his mouth filled with chocolate.
"We didn't see them at the platform. They were late." Ginny explained.
"I hope they got on the train." Emily said.
"I hope so too." Ginny replied.
Suddenly the compartment door opened and Draco Malfoy entered the compartment.
"Where is Potter and Weasley? Ditched their little sisters?" He asked smugly.
"Of course not. It's none of your business where they are." Emily retorted back.
"Of course not. But if your brother ditches you they are other people you could turn to." Draco said smirking but if Emily would have noticed his cheeks were a bit pink.
"I don't think so. Now if you don't mind you can leave." Emily said coldly and closed the compartment door.
Ginny looked at watch and said, "I think we should change into our robes."
"Should I leave?" Colin asked turning a bit red.
"No I don't think so. Does he need to?" Ginny asked.
"Nah! We will just put our robes over our uniform."
By the time there were finished changing the train had started to slow down.
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."
Emily had butterflies in her stomach. Tom and Harry told her she would be all right so she should be okay. Colin was still excited. Even Ginny looked a bit pale.
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. Emily shivered as soon as they came out into the open. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the
students, and Emily heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! 'ello Emily! Yeh all right?"
Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.
"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 Emily thought there must be thick trees there. Emily thought there probably must be. Harry had told her about his adventures in the Forbidden Forest. It seemed everyone was nervous because nobody spoke much. Ginny gripped Emily's hand tightly.
"Ye' all 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. It was breathtaking. It was better than anyone could ever tell her.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Emily, Ginny and Colin
reached a boat in which a blond girl was sitting alone. She had waist-length, straggly, dirty blonde hair, protuberant silvery grey eyes, which often seemed to be dreamily distracted, and faint eyebrows. She had a butter beer cork necklace and raddish earrings. Ginny looked at Emily warily. Emily pulled her along and Colin followed.
"Can we sit here?" Emily asked cheerfully.
"Yes." Luna looked at Emily without blinking and added, "You are Harry Potter's sister."
"Umm, yes. I'm Emily."
"Oh is that what your name is? It was written Emmeline in the paper in the Prophet. Daddy always said the Prophet were a bunch of liars."
Emily shifted uncomfortably.
"Hello Luna." Ginny said wryly.
"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. The great castle towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"You know each other?" Colin cut in.
"Yes we live near by." Ginny said "Unfortunately." She added whispering.
Emily snorted but gave her a look.
"Is that something moving in there?" Colin asked excitedly and moved his hand to touch the water.
"Don't touch it! There is a giant squid in there!" Emily exclaimed and jerked off his hand.
"COOL!" Colin said and put his hand in the water when Hagrid exclaimed, "BOY, DON'T DO THAT!"
Colin looked surprised and jerked his hand back.
Emily smirked and said, "Idiot."
Colin stuck his tongue out.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles. Colin almost slipped and was about to fall inside the water when Hagrid caught him.
"Yeh fine?" He asked gruffily.
"Yes! I'm fantastic!"
They clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.
"Everyone here?"
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
Author's Note.
First of all, THANK YOU for making this story cross 100 reviews! You have no idea how happy I am! =D
That's what inspired me to update again. =)
I know this update took a lot of time but I promise the next one is going to be quicker.
A special thank you to vampqueen27 for agreeing to beta for me.
Thank you lilylou101, hot chocolate mess, Ninja Potter, Dream of Many Dreams, Morghen, xXMizz Alec VolturiXx , call-me-bee, HertaintedQuill, imAddicted.2myipod( I'm too! =D), Smile Life Away, The Fourth Black Sister, MollyWeasleyObsessed, Morghen, SoUsay234, Another-Picture, xakemii, id.'Feenblut'-Elle Tamour, VaneBEAR, selenehekate, 1945, opaque-girl, Screaming Faeries, Rameelia, Selayne, Talking-Rock, MysteriousFlower, Andi-Professional Daydreamer, ThePandorica, xXKissingSinXx, elidarling, Bree-utiful, Vampqueen27 and Luiz4200.
Please review and tell me whether you liked the chapter or no.
scarborough fair :- I'm sorry. I'll try to be better in the future.
