The time in Malfoy Manor flew by faster than Maxym had thought it would, and after two days the small patchwork family set off for Kings Cross. The large travel suitcases that Maxym had been given by Astoria were more than impractical. They were big and heavy, and she hadn't even put her things in them yet. Even the wheels at the bottom were missing. But with a little magic, and the help of the house elves, her things were packed. July settled in her cage and, together with Scorp's luggage, they apparated to a quiet spot at Kings Cross.
»Scorp, I don't want to get any more letters from the headmaster this term. And please help your sister settle in«, Draco said with a serious expression and looked at his son scrutinisingly.
Scorpius just rolled his eyes and continued pushing his trolley along the platform. Maxym and Astoria walked behind the two men.
»You really must write us, Maxym. I want to know if you arrived safely and if you really have everything you need«, Astoria begged Maxym and put her hand on Maxym's shoulder lovingly. The young woman was also pushing a full luggage cart and was slightly nervous about the situation ahead. She never liked changing schools and hoped to make friends quickly.
»Of course. But I hardly think I could be missing anything. We've packed so much.« She pointed to the two large suitcases.
Astoria waved the answer off. »Oh, well, we women always need a bit more.«
Before Draco, who had overheard the conversation, could say anything in reply, they had already arrived at the pillar, the secret passage to Platform 9 ¾. Without looking, first Astoria and Maxym, and then Draco and Scorp passed through the pillar and arrived in a new world.
Kings Cross was sparsely attended in the early afternoon. The peak rush hours, early morning as well as midday, had long since passed, and few guests travelled by train in the afternoon. Even the commuters from the factories and offices would not fill the station until later towards evening. At platform 9 ¾, however, there was a hustle and bustle. There were small groups stood everywhere, parents saying goodbye to their children and countless luggage trolleys loaded with suitcases, animal cages and brooms.
The Malfoys, who of necessity included Maxym, found a small place where they could see the older ones off. They had already stowed the luggage in the carriage at the back of the train. Astoria hugged first Maxym and then Scorp.
»Take care of yourselves, please don't do anything stupid and learn something.« Draco hugged Maxym lightly, a gesture that was unfamiliar to both of them. They both separated quickly. Then Draco hugged Scorp some more and patted him lightly on the back. »Take care of your big sister.«
»I will, Dad«, Scorp said and they both separated. Maxym had already turned towards the train and was waiting for her brother. He followed her and they both disappeared into the carriage. Out of the corner of her eye, Maxym could make out a dark-skinned man turning to Draco and talking to him. Then the carriage door was closed.
Maxym quickly found an empty compartment, but Scorp pulled her on. »Come on, I always sit with Albus. He must already be on the train.«
Maxym let herself be led through the train and three carriages later Scorp finally found the compartment he was looking for. Scorp went in immediately and sat down next to a boy who had to be the same age. He had dark brown hair, a small nose and alert eyes. He reminded Maxym of someone. She just couldn't think of who.
Before she could even greet anyone in the compartment, she was gently pushed into the cabin towards the bench seats. »Well Malfoy, why didn't you ride up in a carriage? I'm sure Daddy would pay for it.«
She sat down properly on the bench and immediately recognised from the voice who had come into the compartment. The eldest of the Potter siblings was probably also part of Scorp's circle of friends. It was going to be a long train ride.
»I hate to disappoint you, but all of the carriages are being cleaned and I have to ride on the train with the common people. With you«, Maxym returned bitingly. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
»James, don't be so rude. If she's half as cool as Scorp always told us, you won't be laughing«, the boy sitting next to Scorp said. Maxym glanced at him and then the flash of inspiration came. That must be Albus Potter, James' younger brother and Scorp's best friend. She shook her head, why hadn't she recognised him straight away.
She held out her hand to him. »Hey, we haven't been introduced. Maxym.«
He smiled at her and shook her hand. »Pleased to meet you, I'm Albus. I've heard a lot about you. And please don't listen to James. He's very conceited, but this term I hope you'll show him a lesson and knock him off his high throne.«
Maxym grinned at him. »I'll do my best.«
Before James could intervene, the cabin door was opened again and two red-haired girls and a red-haired boy sat down. Immediately, the taller girl turned to Maxym. »Hello, I'm Rose and you must be Maxym, nice to meet you. That«, she pointed at the red-haired boy, »is my little brother Hugo. He's with Lily«, and she pointed to the little red-haired girl, »in the same class. It's their first year at school and they're a bit excited. Albus, Scorp and I are in fourth year and James is in sixth year, so you will have the great honour of outdoing him in every subject.« Rose finished her little round of introductions.
Hugo nodded briefly at Maxym then was already engrossed in conversation with Lily again. So, these were Ron and Hermione Weasley's children. She already knew them from Scorp's stories and now finally had a picture to go with them.
»Pah, what do you have with me today anyway? Albus has already started«, James complained.
»Whatever Rose said, she's right, James«, said a blonde girl who had just poked her head through the slightly open cabin door.
»Oh Victoire, this is your last year, you can do what you want anyway«, James just replied. »Maxym, this is Victoire, a cousin of ours and behind her is Dominique, her sister«, James introduced the two blondes.
»Hey, it's nice to meet you. We'll be a few compartments down. It's already too crowded here with James' ego«, Victoire said quickly, stuck her tongue out and disappeared again.
James just rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Maxym. She was not in the mood for another exchange of blows and took a book out of her handbag. Before she could read the first sentence, however, the compartment door was opened again.
»Hey Potter-Weasley-Clan. Everything good here?« A young man stood in the corridor. He was dressed in dark clothes, had a long cloak on and was actually too old for school, or so Maxym thought.
»Hey Ted! What are you doing here?«, James greeted him.
»Two aurors are supposed to guard the train and luckily I got the post on and not above it. Wanted to see how you guys were doing.«
»All good here. You know us. We don't cause trouble until we get to Hogwarts«, James said with a laugh.
»Protect the train? Why would you need to do that?«, asked Rose.
»Purely as a precaution. You are the future, after all«, Ted said, winking at her. »I'll see you around. Keep quiet and don't disgrace me«, He said goodbye and walked on.
It became quieter on the train, and everyone contented themselves with their own thoughts. Maxym could finally devote herself to her book. She could already guess why the train was guarded by an auror. It would all be connected to the new measures from the Ministry. This thing was bigger than anyone realised.
It was already dawn outside when the train stopped at a station. Maxym simply followed the others, who were all engrossed in conversation out of the compartment. Hugo and Lily, however, went a different way. The first years always arrived at school in boats, at least that was what Scorp had told her when he had started his first year at Hogwarts. She sat down with the others in one of the many carriages that were pulled by nothing. No animal was harnessed in front of it and yet the wooden carriage rolled gently along the forest path; just magical.
Hogwarts was incredible. Maxym had some idea but Scorp had not exaggerated in his tales. The castle was huge and the moon illuminated it mystically (in the night. The upper battlements glittered, and the grey stone radiated permanence and security. But as much as Maxym would have liked to look longer at the breath-taking façade, she had to leave the carriage and follow Scorp into the castle. The large group, who were somehow all related to each other, separated and went up the stairs. At the foot of the staircase, an middle-aged gentleman in a cloak was waiting for Scorp and Maxym. He had massive shoulders and a round face. He looked very nice and trusting. Maxym wondered who this was.
»Maxym, I'm glad you're here. I am Professor Longbottom, the Headmaster of Hogwarts. It is my pleasure to welcome you here as one of the first in our school. Please follow me to my office. Scorp, you can go to the Great Hall«, Maxym was surprised that the man standing in front of her was the Headmaster. She had rather imagined an older man with a white beard and a pointed hat.
»Of course, Prof. Good luck Max«, Scorp said goodbye and followed the others up the stairs.
The headmaster led them through some corridors to a spiral staircase. At the top, the professor opened the door and let Maxym enter. She was now in a large round office. There were ceiling-high shelves on the walls and at the back, by the windows, Maxym saw a large desk made of solid wood, on which lay scrolls, books and countless small pieces of paper.
The professor went to a large casket and took out a brown, leathery pointed hat. Maxym looked at him sceptically.
»Don't worry, it's just the sorting hat. We'll put it on your head for a moment and the hat will tell us in which house you will be from now on. I thought you wouldn't like to have the hat on with all the first years in the Great Hall.«
Now Maxym understood what this was all about. »Yes, that's very kind of you. Thank you so much.«
Professor Longbottom easily put the hat on Maxym's head. Maxym felt the hat move lightly on her head and after a moment's hesitation call out: »Slytherin!«
»Well, I thought so«, the professor only said, smirking slightly. He placed the hat back in the casket, tucked it carefully under his arm, and escorted Maxym back towards the Great Hall.
Maxym was glad that she still had a companion for her first journey around this huge castle. She would probably have got lost otherwise.
An middle-aged gentleman in a dark cloak was waiting at the large double door that led to a hall. »Maxym, this is your new Head of House and Potions Professor, Professor Flanagon.«
Maxym extended her hand to him. He had dark eyes, white skin and a small, pointed nose. The smile that graced his mouth, however, told Maxym that a kind man stood before her. »Good evening Maxym, I am pleased to welcome another Malfoy to the House of Slytherin. Come, I will show you our table in the hall and after dinner I will escort you to the common room.«
After the meal, which tasted just as good as Albus had said, she followed Professor Flanagon down to the dungeons. »You can always come to me with any question. And remember, no question is too stupid not to ask. Our common room is under the lake. You can get in through a stone wall that opens with a password. I don't have to tell you that only members of your own house are allowed to enter the common room, as well as the dorm rooms. The password this term is loyalty.«
Maxym just nodded and continued to listen to him intently. He really was a nice old man. Very different from her biological father. Draco had always seemed creepy to her with his white-blond hair, tall wiry build and black suits. Maxym had had this strange idea that all people in the wizarding world had to look like that, but after the two professors Longbottom and Flanagon, she probably had to change that image.
Both of them stepped through the stone wall that had opened up after the password was spoken, and Maxym noticed right away that she would feel very comfortable here. The walls were made of grey-brown stone with small carvings, in the middle there were brown sofas with small tables and at the back of the wall there was a fireplace in which a fire was already crackling.
A girl, who seemed to be Maxym's age, came up to them. »Ah hello, Katelyn. Would you please show Maxym around? Maxym, this is Katelyn Zabini, she will be your guide as well as your roommate. Katelyn, I'll leave you to it. Maxym, if anything comes up, you can come to me anytime«, Professor Flanagon said goodbye.
»Thank you, Professor.« Maxym was very grateful to him for giving her a little tour of the castle and then leading her to the common room.
»Hello, it's nice to meet you. I'm Katelyn. Come on, I'll show you our room.« Katelyn took her by the hand and gently pulled her into the stone hallways. Further along they arrived at a large, dark brown wooden door. The two young women went into the room.
The room had dark wallpaper on all the walls. On either side were large beds with dark wooden frames and dark green bed linen. Next to the beds were small bedside tables. Katelyn leaned against one of the desks. »The room isn't bad. Luckily we have one for two and not four, so we have a bit more space. There's your wardrobe, your desk and back there on the shelf you can store your books. We share the bathroom with the room next door.« She pointed to a small door on the other side of the room.