Chapter One – The Train

Aria,

Sorry I'm wasn't able to see you off, I had to leave for work earlier than I expected. I hope you have a good first day at school and I'll see you later.

You will need to board the Hogwarts Express at 11am sharp from Platform 9 ¾. I trust you will be able to work out how to get to the platform, and BE ON TIME. I will not be pleased if I have to pick you up and take you to the school myself.

Don't worry about your luggage, I've arranged for it to be delivered to the school. I think it's best not to have you concerned over too many things. Just don't forget your cat!

I've left some money for you on the kitchen table. You can use this to buy yourself some pumpkin pasties or something of the sort on the train.

Be safe,

S

The red-haired girl read the crumpled up piece of parchment one more before folding it up and slipping it into her jeans pocket. She shivered and zipped her hoodie up, stuffing her hands into the pockets. It's the beginning of September and it's so cold already. Bloody English weather. She thought, and with a disgruntled face, looked up at the sign for Platform 9. I've not the foggiest how to get onto this platform. He knew I wouldn't. Twat. Her green eyes surveyed the scene before her. Nothing seemed particularly non-Muggle. Everybody was on their way somewhere or other, but they had tickets to Platform 6, or Platform 2, not 9 ¾.

'Now Draco, don't slouch. It's such a Muggle thing to do.' The girl's head snapped round at the word 'Muggle'. She saw a boy and his mother (or who she assumed was his mother). They both were pale, with pale blonde hair and pale eyes. They were a very pale family. They were both also quite attractive.

'Yes mother.'

'Have you got your ticket?'

'Yes mother.'

'Now I'm going to leave you here now. I will see you at the end of the school year.'

'Why not Christmas?' asked the boy, a confused look crossing his face.

'Because your father's taking me to France for Christmas. I told you this yesterday.' The woman hugged her son. 'I'll see you then. Stay safe.'

'Yes mother' the boy wriggled out of his mother's embrace. How rude the girl thought. The boy made his way towards the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. Ah, that must be the entrance. The girl decided she wanted to ask the boy how to get to the right platform but before she could speak, he ran at the barrier and disappeared! Taking a chance, the girl ran at the barrier and braced herself for the impact, but was surprised when she found herself running straight through. She opened her eyes and found herself on a platform, where a gleaming red train was ready to be boarded. A sign above her head said 'Platform 9 ¾'.

She decided she would look for the boy she had seen on the platform, and quickly identified his pale complexion and blonde hair. She tapped him on the shoulder and he spun around rather quickly, like a whip.

'What do you want?

'Hi! I'm Convallaria Fortis, but you can call me Aria. I saw you at King's Cross and I wanted to say hello, but you disappeared before I could say anything. What's your name?' The girl introduced herself and stuck out her hand.

'Draco Malfoy,' said the boy, in a lazy, drawling voice, 'And what makes you think you can just befriend me because you happened to see me at King's Cross. Go away.' Aria's expression turned sour, and she withdrew her hand.

'My apologies, Malfoy. Sorry for talking to you, oh so great one. Next time, I will busy myself with talking to people who are dirt just like me rather than saints like yourself.' She said sarcastically, her voice full of venom. The boy looked taken aback for a moment, but his disinterested mask was quickly rectified, and he stalked off.

'For goodness sakes Ronald, don't lose that rat, he's the only one we've got and you won't get another one,' a loud, motherly voice came from across the platform. Aria turned to look and saw a large group, a family of seven redheads, a girl with bushy, brown hair and a boy with rounded glasses and messy black hair. They seemed a lot nicer, so Aria decided she'd see if they could help her out.

'Excuse me,' she walked up, and the mother turned around 'I was wondering how this whole train thing works. I'm transferring this year and wasn't really given a proper induction or explanation on how it all happens, so I'm kind of lost. Sorry to bother you, but I could do with a hand.' The woman smiled warmly at Aria, and she immediately knew she was a nice person.

'Yes dear, of course. Molly Weasley.' She extended a hand, and Aria shook it. 'These are my children and husband, and over there are Harry and Hermione. They aren't mine.' She indicated to three people, one of which was a ginger boy, the other two the people Aria had spotted earlier that stood out from the family of redheads.

'Convallaria Fortis. Pleasure to meet you. Now, how does this train thing work?'

About twenty minutes later, Aria boarded the train and was searching with Harry (who she had had a slightly awkward conversation with when she saw his scar, in which Aria stared at Harry until the ginger twins had interrupted), Hermione, and the ginger boy she now knew as Ron for an empty compartment. The emptiest one they could find had man sitting in the corner, asleep. He was wearing tattered clothes, and his suitcase lay at his feet, gold lettering spelling 'Professor R.J. Lupin'. Aria thought she had heard that name before, but dismissed the idea.

'So, Aria, where are you from?' asked Hermione.

'I live in London,' explained Aria. 'But the house is a bit away from King's Cross. The house is kind of drab, as my adoptive father likes dark things. He mostly likes to sit inside and play Potions.' The three went quiet, as Aria was used to whenever she said she was adopted. 'Anyway, what about you? What are your families like?'

'Well, my parents are Muggle dentists, and I have no brothers or sisters. My family life isn't all that interesting.' Hermione spoke first and looked to Ron, but huffed when she saw his mouth had been stuffed with a chocolate frog Harry had given him. 'As you saw, Ron's family is very large. As well as who you saw at the station, he has two other brothers.' Ron finished his mouthful and continued the explanation,

'Yeah, the eldest is Bill. He works in Egypt doing curse breaking for Gringotts. My other brother, Charlie, works with dragons in Romania.'

'Wow, your family sounds pretty cool,' the tips of Ron's ears turned red and he grinned. 'What about you Harry?' Suddenly, the mood in the compartment became a little sombre. 'Alright, touchy subject. I won't inquire further.'

'No it's fine,' said Harry, 'My parents are both dead.'

'Oh join the orphan club,' said Aria, and again the mood became a little sadder.

'Oh, your parents are dead too?' said Hermione, a pitying look on her face.

'Nah, it's okay, no need to look so sorry. I was really little, so I don't remember them very well. My dad was a bit of a dick anyway, and my adoptive dad is amazing, so it's really okay. Shall we get back to Harry's family?'

'Alright then. I live with my aunt, on my mother's side, my uncle and my cousin. They're pretty against magic, and quite frankly I'd say they're scared of me' Harry shrugged.

'Oh, wait 'til you hear what Harry did to his uncle's sister,' said Ron, a grin on his face.

'Oh for goodness sakes Ronald!' exclaimed Hermione, 'That was serious! Harry could have been expelled. Or even arrested. Blowing up your uncle's sister is not a good idea, even if she was a despicable person.'

'You blew her up?'

'Yeah,' said Harry sheepishly, 'She was badmouthing my parents and I kind of lost control. They punctured her though, so she's okay now.' Aria struggled to contain a laugh, but couldn't hold it in.

'That's priceless!' she gasped, in between laughs. She set Ron off, and the two were in fits of laughter while Harry grinned and Hermione glared at them disapprovingly. 'You blew her up, like a balloon!'

'Goodness, you're like children, really. It's a serious matter. If Fudge didn't like Harry that much then he might've been arrested!' Hermione shook her head in exasperation and pulled a book out of her bag.

'Anyway, when will the food trolley be here? I'm starving!' Aria exclaimed, and Hermione sighed once more, burying her nose deeper into the book.

About mid-afternoon, after the trolley had arrived and lunch had been eaten, Harry and Hermione were trying to teach Aria and Ron how to play rock-paper-scissors, when they were interrupted.

'Oh look, it's Potty and the Weasel. Back for another year of school are we?' The pale boy Aria looked up and saw the pale boy she had met on the platform standing at the door. He was shadowed by two dim-looking and very large boys, both with gormless looks on their faces. Recognition dawned on his face when he saw her, and he smirked. Aria smiled sarcastically, got up from her seat and bowed low.

'Oh Your Majesty, how good of you to grace us with your presence,' she said, injecting as much hostility as she could into her voice, 'I hope we are not troubling you.'

'Oh, I can see you did go to talk to dirt, congratulations!' said Malfoy. This comment caused Ron to stand up in anger, and Harry follow suit, in case he had to hold Ron back. 'I heard about the money you won, Weasley. Did your mother die of shock?' Aria had an idea, and tuned to Hermione

'I wonder what Professor Lupin will be teaching this year,' with that comment, Malfoy took a proper look at the compartment and noticed the professor sat in the corner. His face quickly became less hostile and he decided that a fight would probably not be the best idea at the current time.

'Crabbe, Goyle, we're leaving,' said Malfoy, and with that, they left.

'Who is that?' asked Aria, 'I mean, I know it's Draco Malfoy because I met him on the platform, but he was a dick to me so I returned the favour.' The three grimaced, 'Why's he got a stick up his arse?'

'Draco Malfoy,' explained Harry, 'Is a twatty Slytherin who believes muggle-borns are scum and pure-bloods are superior.'

'Except what he likes to call "blood traitors" Bloody git.' Ron commented.

'I suppose you've been on the end of that name calling then?'

'Yeah. He thinks my family are below him even though we're pure-bloods, just because we like Muggles and we don't consider them lower than us.'

Suddenly, the train stopped.

'What's going on?' asked Hermione, as the lights blacked out. There came the sound of the door opening and closing, then someone in the compartment calling out.

'Ouch!' came a voice.

'Neville, what are you doing here?' asked Harry.

'Sorry, I got a bit scared so I tried to find you,' replied Neville sheepishly. A sudden chill was cast over the train, and Aria could see her breath in front of her face. This doesn't look good thought Aria. She could guess what had boarded the train, and it wouldn't be fun. The chill became colder still, and the compartment door was opened again. Aria looked to the source of the chill, and her fears were realised. There was a black, rotting hand on the door, pulling it open. Dementors, I knew it.

'What… is that?' Ron's voice quivered. Suddenly, Aria fell to the floor. While the others in the compartment just saw her convulsing on the floor, all Aria could see was flashes of her childhood. Her mother crying. Her mother in a hospital bed. Her father raising his wand to her. Her father in the newspapers, sent to Azkaban. Her mother's gravestone. Then the images stopped. She came to, and saw Harry lying next to her. The dementor had moved onto him. Shaking the depressing thoughts from her mind, she focused on her happy memories, and raised her wand.

'Expecto Patronum!' She shouted, and out of her wand came a light that chased the dementor away. Then Harry came to, and she helped him get to his feet.

'Aria? What happened?' he asked, a confused look on his face.

'Dementors. They're the guards of Azkaban,' came a voice from behind Aria. She turned and saw the man that had been sleeping in the compartment. He handed both Harry and Aria some chocolate, and told them he would be going to speak to the driver, not before giving Aria a strange look.

'Are you alright?' Ron asked. Harry was still in a daze and was staring at his piece of chocolate. Aria waved her hand in front of his eyes.

'Harry? Earth to Harry?' Harry snapped out of his trance, 'Now eat that chocolate. It helps, trust me. I know from experience.'

'What on earth was that? And who screamed?' asked Harry.

'No one screamed Harry,' said Hermione, looking concerned. Aria surveyed the carriage. Ron looked terrified, Hermione concerned, Harry shaken and Neville very pale. Neville!

'Neville!' exclaimed Aria. The boy looked up at Aria and a smile dawned on his face.

'Aria! How have you been? Why didn't you tell me about coming here?' Hermione, Ron and Harry looked between the two, confused at their exchange.

'Oh, my adoptive father didn't tell me until about two days ago. I thought it'd be quicker to tell you when I saw you in person rather than by owl.'

'Wait… how do you know each other?' asked Ron, his face twisted in confusion.

'Well, basically-'

'We met in Flourish and Blotts a while back and we owl from time to time,' explained Neville, quick to cut Aria off. She was confused as to why Neville didn't want his friends to know how they met, but realised he probably didn't want them to know about his parents.

'We'll be at Hogwarts soon,' said Hermione, 'We should probably put our robes on.' The girls made their way into the compartment next door, where some of Hermione's dorm mates were also getting changed, and left the boys to get dressed.

Aria was excited. She was going to Hogwarts. She was going to where her parents went to school, and her adoptive father. Where they met and made friends and studied. She was going somewhere where she felt she could be close to her parents, for the first time she could remember.

She would be happy.