Nobody could have guessed, just by looking at her on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters with trepidation written in her eyes ahead of her first year, that Revati Kumar would be one of the biggest troublemakers Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had ever seen.
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter, which is all JK Rowling's intellectual property.
Nobody could have guessed, just by looking at her on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters with trepidation written in her eyes ahead of her first year, that Revati Kumar would be one of the biggest troublemakers Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had ever seen.
She stood in silence next to her mother as children of all ages passed around her, laughing and talking and boarding the train. Owls hooted in excitement and cats slunk about the platform as their owners bustled about, some dressed in Muggle clothes, others already in school robes, all restless with anticipation of another fine year at Hogwarts. Awed by the bright colors and chaos around her, she could do or say nothing, content for that moment to just take it in. She herself had only one suitcase, with an Undetectable Extension Charm that her mother had placed on it when they were packing. Her pet toad Mango was perched on top, and, as a generally obedient creature, had not moved an inch without express permission from Revati or her mum.
"Oh, Revu, I'm going to miss you so much," her mother finally said, turning to her. There was a bittersweet look on Anjali Kumar's tired face, pride and love in her daughter crossed with the weight of missing her already.
"I'll miss you too, Mum," Revati said, giving her mother a tight hug.
She had her mum's toasted golden skin and large, brown eyes, and jet black hair, but that was where the resemblance ended. Anjali had a heart-shaped face with the edges rounded and softened. Her nose was thin and long, and her shoulder length hair was silky and straight. Revati, on the other hand, had much sharper features and fuller lips, and her hair fell in zig-zagging waves around her more square face. Her mum said she resembled her dad quite a bit, but Revati was neither impressed or interested.
For as long as Revati could remember, it had just been her and her mum. Anjali was a magical naturalist, and though she'd specialized in diplomatic relations with intelligent magical species in her youth, she had stopped once Revati was born to take care of her daughter. Now she worked for the Ministry, and though she hated her low-paying job, she didn't seem to have any luck finding a new one.
But despite the stress, Anjali had never made Revati feel like a burden, and the two of them were close. They were together all the time, just the two of them, except on Sunday nights when Revati's uncle (well, a family friend, but she called him uncle. It was a brown thing) came over for dinner. There was nobody Revati respected more than her mother, and her mother had always respected her back, never shying away from the truth when Revati asked a question. She wasn't kidding when she said she was going to miss her mum.
The train let out a loud whistle and Revati took that as her cue. Giving her mother one last hug, she boarded the train with her luggage and Mango.
There didn't seem to be any open compartments, so Revati doubled back and tried to find approachable people. She ended up outside a door with a girl about her age, with bushy black hair, large brown eyes, and dark skin. The girl was immersed in a book Revati recognized, but had never read: Hogwarts, a History. Smiling a bit shyly, she knocked on the compartment door.
The girl looked up with a start.
"Hello," Revati shifted awkwardly. "Sorry to bother you, it's just that, well, there are no empty compartments and…"
"Oh!" The girl said in surprise, before beaming at Revati. Her front teeth were a little big. "Would you like to sit with me? I'd love some company!"
"That would be great," Revati said, smiling in relief. "You don't mind toads, right? This is Mango." She indicated towards her pet.
"Of course not!" The girl said. "Mango's a wonderful name for a toad."
She walked in then, and, upon depositing Mango on her seat, tried to haul her luggage up. The other girl put her book aside and helped her, and the two of them managed to get it in the storage space.
"I'm Hermione," the other girl said, sticking her hand out. "Hermione Granger."
"Revati Kumar," Revati smiled as she shook it. "I'm a first year."
"Me too," Hermione grinned. Revati decided she liked the other girl's smile, for it was welcoming and open.
She glanced out the window and caught her mum scanning the compartment windows. Beaming, she stuck her head out and waved, just as the train started to take off.
"Goodbye, Mum!" She yelled, smiling. Anjali caught sight of her and waved back. Revati kept her head out the window until the train had fully left the platform and her mother was swallowed by the crowd.
When she brought her head back in, she smiled sheepishly at Hermione. "Sorry for ignoring you there."
"No need to apologize," Hermione said, "I understand. I would have done the same, but my parents are non-magical, so as soon as I boarded the train the Ministry person escorting them took them home."
"Oh," Revati said in surprise, "Aren't they allowed to stay?"
"Now that they know how to get on and off the platform, they'll be allowed to stay as long as they'd like for every other train ride," Hermione said. "I don't mind, it's all very exciting, anyway, going to Hogwarts! I didn't know I was magical, of course, so I'm absolutely thrilled!"
Revati gave her a warm smile as Mango hopped on her lap. "It's really exciting!" She agreed. "I am a bit nervous though, about the Sorting and all."
"Oh, where do you think you'll be?" Hermione asked, eyes widening with interest.
"Well, my mum was in Ravenclaw," Revati said, "But I dunno, I'm not particularly studious."
"Ravenclaw would be nice," Hermione agreed. "Is it common for children to get Sorted in their parents' house?"
"Somewhat," Revati said, "But it's not unusual to be in a different one. There are some really old families that have been in specific houses for generations, I think, but for the most part it's really a tossup."
"Well what about you then? Mum was in Ravenclaw, was your Dad there too?"
"No idea," Revati shrugged. "I've never met him."
Hermione looked horrified with herself. "Oh—I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to assume—"
"It's okay," Revati said, "My mum's the best parent I could ask for."
"Right, of course." Hermione smiled, seemingly relieved that she hadn't ruined their budding friendship. "Any siblings?"
"No, it's just me and Mum," Revati replied. "Most of her immediate family died when she was young, so she moved in with an aunt here. She has some family back in India, and who knows about my dad. Mum says I have a cousin somewhere in England, but she mails him on Christmas and his birthday every year and he never responds."
"That's awful!" Hermione said. Revati shrugged.
"I'm sure it is, for her," she said slowly. "I never knew any of them." Then, deciding they'd better get on a lighter topic, she nodded at the book in Hermione's hand. "You know, my mum told me to read Hogwarts: A History, but I was too lazy. Is it any good?"
The next hour passed swiftly, with the two girls laughing and chatting and getting to know each other. Just after noon, the trolley lady came by, and Revati bought herself and her new friend each a pumpkin pasty before pocketing her change. Her mum had given her a Sickle before she boarded the train, and she now had nine Knuts left, which was not enough to get anything else. Hermione smiled gratefully at her, and with the food, their friendship was solidified.
At around four in the afternoon, the girls decided to get changed into their school robes. Their uniforms were completely black, and Hermione explained to Revati that they would change to house colors once they were Sorted.
A knock sounded at the door, and Revati and Hermione looked up to see a boy about their age, looking very sorry for himself. He had a round face and was quite short, with dark blond hair and rather large ears.
"Hello," he said glumly, "Have you by any chance seen a toad?"
Hermione glanced down at Revati's lap, where a tranquil Mango was resting. "Erm, I assume you don't mean Revati's?"
The boy glanced at her toad in surprise. "I thought I was the only one!" He said. "Toads aren't very popular, are they?"
"Well, no," Revati admitted, "But I quite like them. Mango's been my toad for about three years now, and she's awfully fun."
The boy smiled a bit at that, before seeming to remember his predicament. He deflated, frowning. "Well, anyway—Trevor, my toad, is missing. I know he boarded the train with me, but I took a nap and when I woke up, I couldn't find him anywhere!"
"Well, do you want us to help you look?" Hermione asked kindly.
The boy looked hesitant. "I wouldn't want to bother you…"
"Please," Revati said warmly, "It's no bother at all. I'm Revati, by the way."
"I'm Hermione," her friend introduced herself.
"Neville," the boy said. "Thank you both so much."
"It's no problem, Neville." Hermione said.
The two girls got up. Revati picked up Mango and said, "If you can find Trevor, please bring him back to Neville."
She set her toad down and Mango went hopping off.
"Oh! Your toad's run away, too!" Neville said in dismay.
"She'll come back," Revati replied. "She always does."
The three first years set off down the corridor, knocking on compartment doors.
"Has anyone seen a toad?" Hermione asked two boys around their age. "Neville's lost one."
"We haven't seen it," said one of the boys. He was tall and gangly and freckly, with shockingly ginger hair. He had his wand out.
"Are you doing magic?" Asked Hermione with excitement. She dashed in and sat down. Revati and Neville followed her in but didn't sit. The ginger looked a bit annoyed, and the other boy seemed taken aback.
"Well?" Hermione asked expectantly. Her eyes were shining.
The boy cleared his throat and said some sort of rhyme, jabbing his wand at the sleeping rat in front of him. Nothing happened.
Hermione, likely exhilarated both at the prospect of making new friends and nervous now that they were closer to school, started to go on and on about her own attempts at magic, saying about a paragraph in one breath and barely remembering to introduce herself at the end.
It seemed to overwhelm the boys, who looked at each other in astonishment.
"Er—I'm Ron Weasley."
"I'm Revati Kumar," Revati put in.
"Harry Potter."
Hermione launched into another monologue at that, but Revati instead surveyed the boy with raised eyebrows. She didn't know Harry Potter was in their year, though she supposed given the year You-Know-Who was vanquished, he would be either in her year or the ones directly above or below. He had toasted bronze skin and messy black hair, with bright, jarringly green eyes. She couldn't really see his scar, as it was covered by his bangs, but she didn't doubt he was who he said.
She wondered absently where he'd been living for the past ten years, so hidden that no wizard knew where he was.
"Do either of you know what house you'll be in?" Hermione was saying, but she didn't pause to let them answer. "I've been asking Revati about it and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, though Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad…"
"Hermione," Revati said gently, correctly interpreting the irritated expressions on the boys' faces. "We'd better go look for Trevor."
"Oh!" Hermione looked up. "Yes, I suppose you're right." She got up then, a quick whirl of bushy hair and long robes. Revati and Neville walked out, Hermione on her heels.
hello hello! hope you all enjoy! please stay safe out there, and for those of you who are in essential fields or have loved ones in essential fields, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your courage, dedication, and bravery. we do not take your service lightly.
-alidfi