Aleena's last month with the Dursley's was a lot better than she thought it would have been. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia didn't shut her in her cupboard, force her to do anything or shout at her. They didn't speak to her at all and half of the time, they acted like Aleena wasn't even there.
Harry and Dudley were still acting the same with Aleena. They still bullied her, they still teased her, they still made her life hell. Harry has been looking through his school books and keeps telling Aleena which spells he wants to try on her. She isn't too worried about that at the minute because she knows, and so does Harry, that they're not allowed to do magic outside of school.
Aleena spent most of her days in her room, with her new owl for company. She had decided to call her Hedwig, a name she had found in A History of Magic. Her school books were very interesting. Aleena would lay on her bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swopping in and out of the open window as she pleased.
Every night before she went to sleep, Aleena would tick off another day on the piece of paper that she had pinned to the wall by her bed. It was counting down the days till September the first, and Aleena was getting more and more nervous with every tick she made.
She was nervous that people would only want to be her friend because she's the girl who lived, but she was also nervous that no one would want to be her friend because Harry would scare them all away like he did in primary school.
On the last day of August Aleena thought she had better speak to her aunt and uncle about taking her to King's Cross station the next day. They had already said they would take her because Harry needed to be dropped off too, but she just wanted to make that they were still taking her.
She went downstairs and walked over to the living room door, where she saw the Dursley's and Harry watching a quiz show on the television. Aleena cleared her throat to let them know she was there, but they didn't look at her.
"Uncle Vernon?" she said. He grunted to show he was listening. "Are you still ok to take me to King's Cross station tomorrow?" he grunted again. Aleena took this was a yes. "Thank you" she said, before going back upstairs.
Aleena woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. She put on her jeans because she didn't want to walk into the station on her wizard's robes. She would change on the train.
Aleena checked her trunk over ten times because her brain kept making her think that she'd forget something even though she knew she hadn't, but it bugged her if she didn't check every time her brain told her that she had forgotten a school book or her wand.
She made sure that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, then she sat on the bed and waited for the Dursleys and Harry get wake up. Two hours later, Aleena's and Harry's trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys car. Aleena got into the back of the car where she was unable to stop herself from smiling.
They reached King's Cross station at half past ten. Aleena went to take her belt off but Aunt Petunia snapped at her to stop. Aleena was confused but she did as she was told. Aunt Petunia turned to Harry and Dudley and told them to get out of the car, which they did.
Uncle Vernon helped Harry put his trunk on a trolley before he, Aunt Petunia and Dudley started saying good bye to Harry. Aleena couldn't help but feel jealous when she saw Aunt Petunia hugging and kissing Harry like a loving mother, or when Harry and Dudley did their secret handshake. Why couldn't her and Harry be that way with each other?
Harry smirked smugly at his little sister when Uncle Vernon handed him a 20 pound note. Aleena didn't really care that Uncle Vernon gave Harry money, it's not like he could spend it in the wizarding world anyway. Plus, her little bag was full of coins worth way more than 20 pounds.
Aunt Petunia whispered something into Harry's ear which made him nod. Aleena had a strong feeling that she was telling him where the platform was. She tried to listening to what Aunt Petunia was saying, but she couldn't hear anything since she was whispering and Aleena's door was closed.
They said one last good bye to Harry before he pushed his trolley into the station. Uncle Vernon waited a few minutes before he opened the car door and looked at Aleena. "Get out!" he ordered.
Aleena got out of the car and watched Uncle Vernon put her trunk onto a trolley for her. She was confused when he started walking toward the station with Aunt Petunia and Dudley following him. Was he going to show Aleena where to go?
Aleena quickly followed them and saw them standing in front of nine and ten. Aleena looked around for Harry but she couldn't see him anyway. Then she looked around for platform nine and three quarters but she couldn't see that anywhere either.
She looked at Uncle Vernon only to find him looking at her with a rather nasty grin on his face, even Aunt Petunia and Dudley were smirking. Before Aleena could ask where the platform was, then turned around and walked off laughing.
Aleena stood there awkwardly as people started to stare at her because of Hedwig. She had started hooting in her cage. She looked around and desperately hoped that platform nine and three quarters would just appear but it didn't.
According to the large clock over the arrivals board, she had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and she had no idea how to do it; she were stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk she could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money and a large owl.
At that moment a group of people passed just behind them and they caught a few words of what they were saying.
"- packed with Muggle, of course -"
Aleena swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all of them had flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Aleena's in front of her and they had an owl. They stopped and so did Aleena, just near enough to hear what they were saying.
"Now, what's the platform number?" the boys mother asked.
"Nine and three quarters!" a small girl said. She also had flaming red hair. "Mom, can't I go ..."
"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."
What looked like the oldest boy marched towards platforms nine and ten. Aleena watched, careful not to blink in case she missed it - but just as the boy reached the divide between the two platform, a large crowed of tourists swarming in from of him, and by the time last rucksack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.
"What the -?" Aleena breathed out. She looked around but she couldn't see the boy anywhere. Where did he go? Aleena was so confused at the minute.
"Fred, you next" the woman said.
"I'm not Fred, I'm George" the boy said. "Honestly, woman, call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"
"Sorry George, dear."
"Only joking, I am Fred" the boy said, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done, because a second later, he had gone. Now the third brother was walking briskly towards the ticket barrier - he was almost there - and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.
Aleena shook her head. There was nothing else for it, she would have to ask the woman. "Excuse me" she said to the woman.
"Hello, dear" she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."
She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin and gangling, with freckled, big hands and feet and a long nose.
"Yes" Aleena said. "The thing is - the thing is, I don't know how to -"
"How to get on to the platform?" she asked kindly. Aleena nodded. "Not to worry. All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."
"Really? I just run at the wall?" Aleena asked, unsure if the woman was telling her the truth or not. She looked at the wall. "That very solid wall?" she added. That wall did look very solid indeed.
Ron sniggered under his breath.
"It's ok, dear" the woman said, putting her hand on Aleena's shoulder, which made her flinch a little. The woman frowned but didn't say anything about it. "I know it looks solid, but it's not for you. You will go through it."
"Ok" Aleena nodded, pushing the trolley round and started at the barrier. She looked at the woman and she gave Aleena an encouraging smile. Aleena smiled back they started walking towards the wall. People jostled her on her way to platform nine and ten.
Aleena wanted to stop but she pushed herself to keep going. She thought about closing her eyes but changed her mind at the last minute. The barrier was coming closer to her so she speed up a little, gripping her trolley as the wheels starts to lose control.
Aleena was a foot away when she couldn't help but close her eyes. She really was expecting to crash, only it never came. She kept on running. When Aleena opened her eyes, she was standing in front of a beautiful scarlet steam engine. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express 11 o'clock.
Aleena looked behind her and saw a wrought-iron archway where the ticket box had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it.
"I did it" Aleena shrieked excitedly. She grinned happily as she looked around. There were a lot of children her age. Aleena could see that the first few carriage were already packed with students, some handing out of the window to talk to their families, some where fighting over which seat they wanted to sit on.
Aleena pushed her trolley off down the platform in search of an empty seat. She passed a round faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."
"Oh, Neville" she heard the old woman sigh.
Aleena pressed on through the crowed until she found an empty compartment near the end of the train. She put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave her trunk towards the train door. She tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise it to the first one.
Aleena thought she had got it this time when the trunk slipped and landed on her foot.
"Ow!" she hissed, grabbing her foot in pain. "Stupid trunk" she said, kicking it with the same foot that the trunk landed on, hurting it even more. "Ah fu - that was a stupid idea."
Someone sniggered behind Aleena. She jumped and turned around. Stood there was a man and woman with blonde hair. They were dressed in all black and Aleena thought they looked very smart. They also had a boy with them, he also had the same blonde hair as his parents. He was also the one who laughed.
"Sorry" Aleena said, a little embarrassed. "I didn't realise there was someone behind me."
"It's quite alright, dear" the woman smiled. "Would you like an hand with your trunk?"
"Yes please."
"So polite" the man said, smirking a little, as he put Aleena's trunk on to the train.
"I was bought up to respect my elders - Not saying you're old or anything" she quickly added when she realised how rude that must sound. "I just meant -"
"It's ok, sweetheart" the woman smiled. "We understand what you meant."
Aleena smiled at her, before turning to the man. "Thank you for helping me. I would never have been able to lift that on my own" she said, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"What's that?" the boy suddenly asked, pointing to Aleena's lightning scar. "Oh good lord. Are you -? You are, aren't you? You're Aleena Potter."
Aleena flinched when many heads turned in her direction, including the red headed twins that went through the ticket barrier before her. They stared at her with their mouth wide open.
Sensing Aleena's nervousness, the woman with blonde hair turned to the twins. "Fred, George, it's rude to stare."
"Sorry, Narcissa" they both said, sheepishly.
"We didn't mean to stare" one of the twins said.
"Yeah, it just took us by surprise, that's all" the other one said.
"You're very beautiful" the first twin blurted out. Aleena could feel her face heating up. She's never been called beautiful before. She's been called a freak, a brat, a lose, a rat, but never beautiful. It felt kind of nice hearing someone say something nice about her. Although, Aleena didn't think that she was beautiful at all, but it was still nice to hear it.
"You need your eyes testing if you think that is beautiful."
And there goes Aleena's self esteem. She looked up and saw Harry stood there with his arms crossed. He looked at her. "You should lend him your glasses, freak, because he clearly needs them."
"Who are you" the blonde boy asked, glaring slightly at Harry.
Harry looked at him smugly. "I'm the much better Potter, of course."
One of the twins snorted. "You don't seem like the better Potter to me."
"Yeah" his brother agreed. "You seem like an arsehole to us."
"As if I care what you losers think" Harry scoffed. Although, he was a little taken back that they didn't agree with him. Everyone in primary school would always agree with him when he said that. Harry looked at Aleena. "See you at school, freak!"
He walked off before anyone could say anything to him. Aleena glanced around at everyone and saw the twins glaring at the back of Harry's head as he walked away. The blonde boy was looking at Aleena, and the man and woman were stood there in disgust at the Potter's boy attitude.
Aleena was about to say sorry to them when the twins mother called them. "Fred? George? Where are you boys?"
"We better go before mother sends perfect Percy after us" one of them said. Aleena wished that she could tell them apart. Maybe she will get there one day.
"It was lovely meeting you, Miss Potter" one of them said, taking Aleena's hand into his and kissing her knuckles. Aleena blushed and slowly removed her hand from his grip. The other one winked at her before they walked over to their mother.
She looked at the blonde haired family. "Thank you for helping me, and sorry about my brother, he's got no filler on his mouth and just talks without thinking."
"Does he always talk to you that?" the man asked. Aleena nodded and she saw him clench his fists.
"It's fine though - I mean, it's not fine, but I'm used to it, I guess."
The blonde boy looked at Aleena. "Would you mind if I sat with you on the train?"
"No, of course not" Aleena smiled. "Thank you for helping me again, Mr and Mrs ..." she trailed off when she realise that she didn't know their name.
"It's Malfoy" the man answered. "I'm Lucius Malfoy" he said, holding out his hand. Aleena shook it, then Lucius turned to the woman. "And this is my wife, Narcissa" Aleena also shook her hand. "And our son, Draco" Aleena went to shake his hand too, but Draco kissed her knuckles instead, which made her blush like crazy.
What is it with boys and kissing my hand? She thought to herself.
"It's nice to meet you all. Anyway, I'll let you say good by to your mom and dad, so just come in the compartment whenever you're ready" Aleena said, before she got onto the train. She down next to the window where, half-hidden, she could see the red haired family on the platform.
The woman had taken out her handkerchief. "Ron, you've got something on your nose."
The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose. "Mom - get off" he said as he wriggled free.
"Where's Percy" their mother asked.
"He's coming now" one of the twins said.
The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his Hogwarts robes and Aleena noticed a shinny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.
"Can't stay long, mother" he said. "I'm up front, the Prefects have got two compartments to themselves -"
"Oh, are you a Prefect. Percy?" one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we have no idea."
"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it" the other twin said. "Once -"
"Or twice -"
"A minutes -"
"All summer -"
"Oh, shut up" Percy the Prefect said.
Aleena sniggered into her hand so that they wouldn't hear her laughing.
"Those two have always been funny" someone whispered. Aleena jumped and looked to her right and saw Draco sitting next to her. She didn't even hear him entre the compartment. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scary you. Maybe I should have cleared my throat or something."
"It's fine. I just didn't hear you come in, that's all. So you know their family then?"
"Yeah. Our families are very close" Draco smiled.
"Aleena Potter" Aleena heard one of the twins say her name and looked back out of the window. "She was the girl that was near us at the station."
Then she heard the little girl's voice. "Oh, mom, can I go on the train and see her, mom, oh please ..."
"You've already seen her Ginny, and that poor girl isn't something you goggle at in the zoo. Are you sure though, Fred?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. We also met her brother. He was a complete jerk, if I'm being honest."
"Fred!" his mother snapped. "You can't go around saying things like that."
"But he was though, mom" his brother argued. "He called Aleena a freak and started being mean to her for no reason."
"He did?" their mother asked, and Aleena heard the shock in her voice. The twins nodded. "Poor dear, she was ever so polite when she asked how to get on to the platform."
"She was polite with the Malfoy's too" one of the twins smiled. "I think they liked her."
"They did" Draco confirmed. Aleena smiled at him.
"Georgie thought she was beautiful, didn't you, George?" his brother smirked. "He even told her as well."
"I didn't mean too, it just slip out. But she was beautiful though."
Aleena could feel her face going bright face again.
Just then a whistle sounded. "Hurry up, boys!" the woman said, pushing her three sons towards the train. They leant out of the window for her to kiss them goodbye and their younger sister began to cry.
"Don't cry, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."
"And if you're lucky, then we might send you an Hogwarts toilet seat."
Aleena and Draco snorted.
"George!"
"Only joking, mom" he said, before winking at his little sister.
The train began to move and Aleena saw the boys mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed; then she fell back and waved. Houses flashed past the window. Aleena felt a great leap pf excitement. She didn't know where she was going to - but it had to be better than what she was leaving behind.
The door of the compartment slip open and the youngest red headed boy came in. "Oh, hi, Draco. I've been looking for you everywhere."
"Well, you've finally found me" he smiled. "Come and sit down - that's if it's ok with you?" he asked Aleena, who nodded. the boy smiled and sat down on the seat opposite Aleena and Draco. He stared at Aleena, before quickly looking out of the window.
"Hey Ron" the twins were back. "Oh, and Draco, you're here too. Cool - Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."
"Right" Ron mumbled.
"Aleena" one of the twins said. "Did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And that little cutie is our younger brother, Ron, and this little blonde cutie, is our brother from another mother - Well, see you later, then."
"Bye" Aleena, Ron and Draco said. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them. Ron stared at Aleena for a few minutes, then, as though he had suddenly realised what he was doing, quickly looked out of the window again.
"I heard you went to live with Muggle" Draco said. "What are they like?"
"Horrible - well, not all of them are. My auntie and Uncle are the worst, so is my cousin, Dudley, and my brother, Harry, is just as bad as they are."
"So your brother really does pick on then?" Ron asked.
"Yeah. Wish I had three nice older brothers."
"Five" Ron said. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was Head Boy and Charlie was captain of the Quidditch team. Now Percy's a Prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone things they're really funny. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand and Percy's old rat."
Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which was asleep. "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."
Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the wind. Aleena didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, she had never had any money in her life until a month ago.
"There's no shame in having second hand things, you know" Aleena told Ron. "I mean, look at what I'm wearing. I've got Harry's old jeans on and Dudley's old top. And Scabbers seems pretty cool to me. I wish I could just asleep all day."
Ron smiled at her. It made him feel a little better that Aleena didn't care about him having second things.
"My mother and father have offered them money multiple times, but they won't take it" Draco said. "Wait" he turned to Aleena. "Your auntie and uncle don't buy you any clothes?"
"No, as soon as it didn't fit Harry and Dudley, it was handed down to me. I didn't even know I was a witch until Hagrid told me. I didn't know anything about my parents or Voldemort -"
Ron and Draco gasped.
"What?"
"You said You-Know-Who's name!" Draco said, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people -"
"I'm not trying to be brave or anything. I just never knew you shouldn't say it. I've got loads to learn ... I bet" she added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying her a lot lately. "I bet I'm the worst in the class."
"You won't be" Ron said. "There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."
Aleena smiled at him, then turned to face Draco. "Have you got any brothers or sisters?"
"No, it's just me, mother and father. I don't mind though because I've got the Weasley's."
While they had been talking, the train had carried them our of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. 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 trolley, dears?"
Aleena, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to her feet, but Ron's ears went pink and he muttered that he had brought sandwiches.
Aleena went out into the corridor. She had never had any money for sweets before so she was excited to buy as many Mars Bars she could carry, but the woman didn't have any Mars Bars. What she did have were Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice Wands and a number of other strange things Aleena had never seen in his life.
Not wanting to miss anything, she got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts. Ron and Draco stared as she brought it all back into the compartment and tipped the sweets in the middle of her and Draco.
"Hungry, are you?" he asked.
"Starving" Aleena said, taking a large bite out of pumpkin pasty. Draco smiled and shook his head.
Ron had out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. "She always forgets I don't like corned beef" he sighed.
"Swap you for on of these" Aleena said, holding up a pasty. "Go on -"
"You don't want this, it's all day. She hasn't got much time. You know, with five of us."
"Go on, have a pasty" she turned to Draco. "You can have one too, if you like."
Aleena had never had anything to share before. It was nice feeling, sitting there with Ron and Draco, eating their way through all of Aleena's pasties and cakes.
"What's are these?" Aleena asked, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?"
"No" Ron said. "But see what the card is, I'm missing Agrippa."
"What?"
"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know - Chocolate Frogs have cards inside them, you know, collect - Famous Witches and Wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."
Aleena 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 moustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.
"So this is Dumbledore!"
"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore! - Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa - thanks -"
Aleena turned over her card and read:
Albus Dumbledore, currently Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Considered by many the greatest wizards of modern times, Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel.
Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.
Aleena turned the card back over and saw, to her astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared. "He's gone!"
"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day. He'll be back though" Draco said, opening up a Chocolate Frog. "No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her ... do you want it? You can start collecting them."
Aleena nodded. "Thank you" she smiled. She could see Ron eyeing up the stray pile of Chocolate Frogs. "Help yourself. You too, Draco."
Draco blushed when Aleena said his name, Ron saw this and smirked at him.
Aleena looked at the sweets that were left. She didn't know what to try next, in the end, she picked up a box of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans.
"You want to be carful with those" Ron warned. "When they say every flavour, they mean every flavour - you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint, but then you can get spinach and lived. George reckons he had a bogey flavoured one once."
"How did he know that it was bogey flavoured?" Draco frowned.
"I don't even want to know" Ron shivered. Aleena giggled at the two of them.
They had a good time eating the Every-Flavour Beans. Aleena got toast, coconut, baked beans, strawberry, curry and grass. Draco was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny grey one that Aleena and Ron wouldn't touch. It turned out to be pepper.
There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round faced boy that Aleena had passed on platform nin and three quarters came in. He looked tearful.
"Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all?" when they shook their heads, he wailed. "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"
"I'm sure he will turn up" Ron said.
"Do you want some help looking for him?" Aleena asked.
"No, thank you. There's already someone helping me, thanks though ..."
He left.
"Don't know why he's so bothered" Ron scoffed. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lost it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."
The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap. "He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference" he said disgust.
"Maybe you should check on him, just in case" Aleena said, eyeing up the rat. She couldn't see if it was breathing or not. Ron pocked him with his finger and he squeaked. Draco snorted.
"I tired to turn him yellow yesterday to him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look ..."
He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.
"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out."
"It is safe to use, isn't it?" Aleena asked, feeling a little nervous that the wand might explode or something.
"Should be alright. Anyway -"
He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.
"Had anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one" she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, brown wavy hair and light green eyes.
"We've already told him we haven't seen it" Ron said, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.
"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then" she said, sitting down.
"Er - all right" Ron said, before clearing his throat. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." He wave his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed grey and fast asleep.
"Are you sure that's a real spell?" the girl frowned. "I don't think I've heard it before. I've been trying out a few simple spells just for practice and so far they have all worked. Nobody in my family is magic, you see, so it was a big surprise when I got my letter. I've already leant all our set books off by hearts. I'm Sarah-Jane Smith, by the way, who are you?"
"I'm Ron Weasley" Rom muttered.
"I'm Draco Malfoy" he said, trying not to laugh because of the look on Ron's face.
Sarah-Jane then turned to Aleena. "And you are?"
Aleena blinked. She was expecting the girl to know who she was. "I'm - I'm Aleena Potter."
"Are you really?" Sarah-Jane asked. "I know all about you. You're in Modern Magical Events History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."
"I am?" Aleena asked.
"Goodness, didn't you know? I'd have found out everything I could if it was me. Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I'm hoping for Gryffindor, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad ... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You three had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."
And then she left, taking Neville with her.
"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it" Ron said, throwing his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell - George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."
"What house are you're brothers in?" Aleena asked.
"Gryffindor" Ron said. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again "Mom and dad were in it too, same with Draco's parents. I don't know what they will say if I'm not in Gryffindor. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."
"My brother wants to be in Slytherin" Aleena said, making Draco and Ron look at her with their mouth wide out. "Is it really that bad of a house?"
"Yes" Ron answered at once. "Almost everyone in that house goes bad. You-Know Who was in that house."
Aleena didn't say anything. She didn't think that Harry would turn bad if he was placed into Slytherin. Sure, he can be mean at times, but he would never do what Voldemort did. He would never hurt or kill anyone. He's not evil like Voldemort.
"Did you hear about Gringotts?" Draco asked, snapping Aleena out of her thought. She looked at him with a questioning look. "It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't you get that with the Muggles - someone tried to rob a high security vault."
"Really? What happened to them?"
"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My 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 happened in case You-Know-Who's behind it."
Aleena turned this news over in her mind. She was starting to get a prickle of fear every time Voldemort was mentioned.
"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.
"Er - I don't know any" Aleena confessed.
"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world -" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get it he had the money.
He was just talking Aleena through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slip open yet again, but it wasn't Neville or Sarah-Jane Smith this time. A boy and girl entered and Aleena recognised the boy at once. It was the boy from the robe shop.
He was just starting at Aleena, which was making her feel uncomfortable. "Hello again, beautiful" he said, in a flirty kind of tone. The girl next to him didn't look very happy when the boy called Aleena beautiful. She had bushy brown hair and large front teeth. She also had a mean look about her.
"Oh, this is Hermione Granger" the boy said, when he saw where Aleena was looking. "She's my partner in crime. And my name is Vega, Ethan Vega" he said, winking at Aleena. She smiled back out of kindness.
Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a sniggered. Ethan Vega looked at him. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford."
He then turned to Draco, who glared at him. "My father has told me all you too. Such a promising Pure-Blood family, but you would rather hang out with filth like that" he nodded towards Ron.
Ethan turned back to Aleena. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there, beautiful. "
He held out his hand so that Aleena could shake it, but she didn't. "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks" she said coolly.
Ethan Vega didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks. He was about to say something but stopped when he heard someone sniggering behind him. He turned around and was about to tell them to shut up, but he soon smirked when he saw that it was only Harry.
The two of them, along with Hermione, have been sharing a compartment together, and they are slowly being friends.
"I told you she wouldn't be friends with you!" Harry said, walking into the compartment "And please don't call that beautiful. She's not beautiful, are you, freak?"
Aleena automatically shook her head, which made Harry glare at her. He hated it when she didn't use her word, but Harry couldn't do anything without starting a fight with the two boys sitting with his sister. Harry might act all tough, but he's never been in a fight before.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter" Ethan said, looking at Aleena. "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. You hand around with riff-raff like the Weasleys, the Malfoy, and that oaf Hagrid and it'll rub off on you."
Ron and Draco stood up. Ron's face was as rad as his hair.
"Say that again!" Ron hissed angrily.
"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Ethan sneered.
"Unless you get out now" Draco said. .
"But we don't feel like leaving, do we?" he smirked at Harry and Hermione. "You see, we have eaten all our food and you still seem to have some, so I think we are just going to help ourselves."
Hermione reached towards the Chocolate Frogs next to Aleena - Aleena leapt forwards, but before she'd so much as touched Hermione, Hermione let out a horrible yell. Scabbers the rat was handing off her finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Hermione's knuckle. Aleena winced at the thought of how much that must hurt.
Ethan and Harry backed away as Hermione swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Sarah-Jane had come in.
"What had been going on?" she asked, looking at the sweets all over the floor. Aleena picked Scabbers by his tail and checked on him.
"I think he's been knocked out" she told Ron.
"You sure he's not just gone back to sleep?" he asked. "Here, give him here, that's have a look" Aleena handed Scabbers over to Ron, who also checked on him. "I don't believe it - he's gone back to sleep."
"Have you met Vega before then?" Draco asked.
Aleena explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.
"I've heard of his family" Draco said darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My father doesn't believe it. He says Vega's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."
"Can we help you with something?" Ron asked Sarah-Jane, who was still stood in the door frame.
"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up the front to ask the drive and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"
"Scabbers has been fighting, not us" Ron said, scowling at her. "Would you mine leaving while we change?"
"All right - I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors."
"You do realise that that's how kids act, right?" Draco asked, rising his eyebrow at the girl in front of him.
"Yes, but there's still no need for it" she huffed, before walking off. Draco rolled his eyes and closed the compartment.
Aleena, Ron and Draco took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his trainers underneath them. Draco's robes were smart and looked like they were made with the best fabric.
A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave you luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
"I'm so nervous" Aleena whispered, as she, and the boys, crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets.
"I'm nervous too" Ron admits.
"Me too" Draco said, "but we will be ok, if we stick together, agreed?"
"Agreed" Aleena and Ron said, nodding a little. Aleena smiled to herself when she realised that she's just made two new friends, and they actually seem to like her for her, and not because she's this famous witch. They didn't even seem bothered by Harry and his big mouth.
Once the train had pulled into the station, Aleena, Ron and Draco joined the crowed thronging the corridor. People pushed their way towards the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Aleena shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students and Aleena heard a familiar voice.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Aleena" Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. Aleena smiled and waved to him. "C'mon, follow me - Mind that step."
Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark either side of them that Aleena thought there must be thick trees there. Aleena looked around and moved closer to Ron and Draco when it felt like something was going to jump out and grab her.
"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 on to 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. Aleena stared at in amazement. She's almost at Hogwarts.
"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Aleena, Ron and Draco climbed into one boat. Neville was about to join them when Harry pulled him back and climbed in and sat next to Aleena.
He's going to try and push me in, she immediately thought to herself. Aleena glanced at Harry and saw him sitting there smirking. Yup, he's definitely going to try and push me in, she groaned.
Ron and Draco saw Harry smirking too. Even they could tell what he was planning to do. They looked at each other and nodded, both of them thinking the same thing: We will save her before she falls in.
"Everyone in?" Hagrid shouted, 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.
"Heads down!" Hagrid yelled as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy which 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 harbour, where they clambered out on to rocks and pebbled.
Aleena, forgetting that Harry was in the boat, stood up only to feel a hand push her on the back. She stumbled on her feet and was about to fall overbroad when two hands grabbed her arms and pulling her back. She turned around and saw that it was Ron and Draco who had her.
Harry glared angrily at them, before he stormed over to Ethan and Hermione, who were stood there laughing and Harry's failed attempt of pushing his sister into the water.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"Trevor!" Neville blissfully, holding out his hands.
"I'm glad you found your toad" Aleena said, smiling. Neville blushed and thanked her.
Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last on to 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. Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.