Chapter 11: The Train to the Castle of Hogwarts
The days since the gathering of cauldrons, ingredients and wands had passed by rapidly, and the fear of leaving loved ones behind started to take effect on the humbled Severus and the emotional Lily.
Eileen and Rose were particularly emotional about seeing their little ones off to Hogwarts, whereas Trevor was taking it in his stride. But one thing was going to be different for Severus in particular at Hogwarts this year: he was going to go home with Lily for the Christmas holidays, and he was already looking forward to it, even though he hadn't left yet. Petunia was particularly sad to see Lily go, not just because she still held some resentment at not being able to come too, but because she would miss her little sister and the new friend she had made over the last couple of years, the friend she was certain would always keep Lily safe in her place, while they were away. She felt some jealousy that Severus was now going to be able to take her place as Lily's rock in the world, but deep down, she knew she would always be Lily's rock in the Muggle World. Severus was just going to be her rock in the Wizarding World.
The summer was coming to an end. The leaves were changing yellow early. The ripe green of the trees and bushes were giving way as the final week of August passed and soon enough, the first of September came. The day for Severus and Lily to set off to Hogwarts at long last.
The night before, they had packed all their necessary possessions in respective trunks, and Gabriel had his last flight out before having to be placed in his cage prior to the long train journey to Hogwarts.
Severus and Eileen cuddled sadly when they completed the packing.
"At least you'll be back home for Christmas this time." said Eileen quietly.
"Yeah. And I won't regret it." said Severus with a sincere smile.
As for Lily, she and Rose had a bit of a cry together, and Petunia joined in after giving Lily a fresh batch of cookies for the journey. Rose had given her fairy cakes to share with Severus. Trevor hugged her before bedtime.
"My little girl is growing up." he said in a mournful tone.
"Yeah." said Lily piteously. "I'm a little scared, Dad. I've never been away as long as that."
"You'll love it all, Lily." he said. "And you won't be lonely, will you? Severus will be there by your side through it all."
Lily nodded, feeling slightly cheerier with that fact.
On that morning, all six of them made their way to London again, this time in the car, and the boot was also enlarged to fit the trunks in and Lily held Gabriel's cage on her lap. The ride to King's Cross Station was not too comfortable and the atmosphere was intense, as Lily and Severus would be bidding the first of many farewells to their parents, and Petunia was growing more and more tight-lipped at the thought of losing her sister and her friend, her main connection to the Wizarding World allowed to her.
At 10.45, they found themselves on the platforms and Eileen led them and the two children's trollies to the section of wall between platforms nine and ten. The Evans family looked confused, but Eileen used Severus as a demonstration.
"At a run, you need to run straight at the wall between the two platforms here, and it will lead you to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, as Severus will now demonstrate." said Eileen.
Remembering to look nervous, as though this were his first time to travel through the gateway to the Hogwarts platform, Severus pushed his trolley at a pace, clenched his eyes shut and disappeared from the Evans family's view and onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters. He saw the beauteous steam engine, painted a deep scarlet, surrounded in smoke and steam and countless people dressed in either Muggle clothing or robes, with owls, cats and toads making distinctive background noises amidst the chatter and the hissing of steam.
Lily followed with Trevor, and Eileen brought Rose and Petunia through last.
There was ten more minutes left before the train departed at 11am, and so with haste, Severus and Lily bundled their trunks and Gabriel's cage onto the train, aided by their parents and the conductor. Then they returned to their parents and Petunia pulled Lily aside, her look of resentment bathing her appearance, her right fist was even shaking.
"I'm gonna miss you, Lily." she said softly.
"I'll miss you too, Tuney." replied her sister, with a worrisome expression because she could see Petunia was fighting internally to maintain her temper.
"Do your best at Hogwarts and make us all proud." continued Petunia. "And…don't go too far out of your way to help me. I just don't think Dumbledore will go to all the effort in the plan to just help me."
"Tuney, I made a promise to you and I will keep it!" said Lily dismissively. "I'm not leaving you out of my new life completely. I can't watch you resent me, Sev and all these other witches and wizards forever. This isn't just for you, it's for my own peace of mind too. So don't you give up either, for me and for yourself."
Petunia sighed deeply, released her fist and hugged Lily tightly, scared to let go.
"I love you, Lils."
"I love you too, Tuney."
They separated to let Lily say farewell to Trevor and Rose, whom was very teary.
"Write us as soon as possible, darling." she sniffled.
"Don't lag around. Do everything Severus suggests and obey your teachers." added Trevor paternally.
"Yes, Mum. Yes, Dad." she replied, with some tears in her eyes too. "I'll miss you both. And, um…look after Tuney." she added quietly.
"We will, don't worry, love." promised Rose.
Just then, Severus waved to two people, who turned out to be Septimus and Desdemona. They rushed over out of breath.
"Not too late then to say goodbye then!" panted Septimus.
"Have a wonderful time, honey!" Desdemona gasped, seizing Severus into a smothering embrace.
"I will!" Severus yelped, trying to maintain his breath.
She released him and Septimus clapped his shoulder affectionately.
"Make us all proud, m'boy." he said.
"I will, Grandad." replied Severus confidently.
Eileen gave him the last hug and whispered so that only he could hear.
"Remember, I don't care what house you end up in this time, and even if you do get sorted into Slytherin again, it will not decide you, okay?"
"I know, Mum. Thank you for coming with me." he said almost tearfully.
"Always, love." she said simply.
Soon the conductor shouted for all students for Hogwarts to board now. So with a final hug and kiss from parent and grandparent and sister alike, Severus and Lily boarded the Hogwarts Express.
The whistle sounded, the engine responded deafeningly and the whole train started to move. Severus and Lily leaned out of the window and waved excitedly, and the party on the platform waved back happily, even Petunia showed pride and enthusiasm for her little sister and Lily's heart leapt in joy at that final picture as they faded from sight as the train departed from the station.
Lily sighed despondently at the fact that she would not see them again for nearly four months. Severus hugged her comfortingly.
"Let's find a compartment." he suggested.
Lily nodded. "Bit crowded in these corridors."
Soon enough, they found a compartment containing only two other children, and they decided to sit by the window. Entering the compartment, Severus' heart plummeted in horror. The two boys sat already, though not paying himself or Lily any heed as they entered were disturbingly familiar. They both had black hair, one very scruffy, one very dignified and handsome. The boy nearest the window had glasses on and despite his scruffy appearance showed to be just as handsome as his friend, and had a look of mischief about him. Severus almost collapsed into his seat as he realized who they were.
It was James Potter and Sirius Black.
"Sev, what's wrong?" asked Lily. She noticed the paleness wash over his face.
"Nothing, think I might be travel sick from the car journey. Let's sit down." he replied, taking his seat with forced composure and self-control.
All he desired to do right now was curse James and Sirius' smug faces into nothingness. But this he knew he simply could not do. He had to maintain and restrain himself in the presence of these two boys and their future comrades this lifetime round, so that he did not put any unnecessary strain on his and Lily's friendship, but he also felt selfishly, that he didn't want Lily to associate with James and the other Marauders at all this time, but he knew that this would be inevitable as she was bound to end up in Gryffindor again, and she would have to communicate with them in class as well.
Lily sat opposite him and took his hands.
"We're finally going, can you believe that this day has come, Sev?" she cried. "I wonder what house I'll be in? I hope we'll be in the same house! Do you think we'll be in the same house? Which house do you think you'll be in?"
Severus' complexion whitened some more. It was at this juncture that his rivalry with the Marauders began…the moment he hoped he and Lily would be in Slytherin.
"I don't know." he said honestly.
"Well, anywhere but Slytherin!" remarked the alternate version of James Potter suddenly.
Severus almost cowered in hearing that horrible voice in its youthful pitch once again after so long. But he reminded himself that he wasn't a coward and raised himself in his seat.
"What house would you choose then?" he asked with barely suppressed contempt.
Lily was surprised at Severus' anti-social behaviour here. She even felt like she could see raw hatred reflected in Severus' usually cheery eyes.
James looked puzzled too, but responded just as coldly.
"I'll be in Gryffindor for sure. House of the brave and the bold!" His words were slightly different to last time, but the arrogance of his character was unchanged. "My whole family have been Gryffindors. Any other house for me will result in me leaving! I'd sooner leave and live as a Muggle than be in Hufflepuff or worse, Slytherin!" He said that last word with vile disgust.
"My whole family have been in Slytherin." said Sirius Black's counterpart morosely.
"Blimey, and I thought you seemed alright!" laughed James.
"What is wrong with Slytherin?" asked Lily defensively. "Just cos that Voldemort guy was in Slytherin, doesn't mean that all students sorted into it will be bad people!"
James and Sirius looked very surprised at Lily's fearless use of Voldemort's name, but showed approval too.
"This one has backbone too." said James. "We don't fear calling him Voldemort either. We're gonna grow up to fight him and his allies."
"What about you?" asked Sirius to Severus with doubt. "You gonna be a Grand Fighter Gryffindor or a Sneaky Loser Slytherin? You see, girlie, Slytherins are all destined to be losers and supremacists, just like my useless family back home!"
"THEY ARE NOT!" shouted Severus.
Lily, James and Sirius flinched in shock at the outburst.
"My entire family were Slytherins too!" bellowed Severus. "My mother was a Slytherin and she married a Muggle! NOT ALL SLYTHERINS ARE BAD GUYS!"
James and Sirius' expressions soured.
"So, you're gonna be a Slytherin then, just like your family! Thought there was something off about you. Jumpy. Cowardly. Typical of a Slytherin." said James.
"Did you not just listen to him?" snapped Lily defensively. "His mother married a Muggle. I know her! She's kind and wonderful and loving and devoted to all of us back home."
"Well, duh, you're a witch, girlie." said Sirius. "Have you seen this git's mother associate with Muggles?"
"Yes, I'm from a Muggle family! I'm Muggle born!" fumed Lily. "Eileen Prince loves my best friend here, and she is just as kind and caring to me, even though I'm neither pure blood, nor her daughter. She married a Muggle, even though it cost her. She lost her parents for a while, but in the end, even they had seen the error of their ways! The Princes may have been in Slytherin, but they have proven that not all people sorted into that House will automatically turn out to be buddies with Voldemort!"
James and Sirius looked to Severus. They didn't look ready to verbally attack him again, but they both sported distrusting expressions.
"You're from the Prince family?" asked James.
"Yes. What of it?" replied Severus standoffishly.
"We heard that people like the Malfoys and the Crabbes are saying that the patriarch of the Prince family, Septimus Prince, has had a mental breakdown." continued James. "Says he's gone off his rocker."
Lily was astonished. This boy whom claimed he was the perfect image of a Gryffindor was openly bullying her best friend, trying to suggest his grandfather was mentally unstable, even though he had nothing to base that on other than the word of wizards he claimed were filthy Slytherin allies of Lord Voldemort.
"My grandad is not mad!" growled Severus. "He reformed. He and my nanny are now friends with Lily's parents, and have even invited her to their manor for dinner in the past! They are now no longer Muggle haters!"
James and Sirius frowned. Then Sirius spoke.
"I did overhear my parents saying that Septimus and Desdemona Prince had started befriending Muggles. Maybe this guy is telling the truth."
"Well, why wouldn't he?" said Lily crossly. "If he were a terrible Slytherin, why would he be friends with a Muggle born? Why would he not demonstrate himself as a hater of Gryffindors and Muggles? Why wouldn't he try to jinx or curse you, or call me something horrible for being Muggle born?"
James and Sirius were stumped here. But James shook his head.
"I don't believe him." he said. "The Princes have been notorious for centuries. Why would they suddenly change now? They must have a reason, a motive."
"Yeah! The motive is reconciling with my mother! She and my father were…" Severus lowered his head. He couldn't bring himself to divulge his abusive upbringing to these bullies, these unchanged individuals, who made his life hell in his past life.
Lily understood why he paused and respected that snippet of privacy.
"What?" snapped James. "Your mum and dad what? Did she hate him cos he tricked her? Maybe she hated him cos she soon realized he couldn't do anything as well as she could, so she killed him cos she thought he was just in the way, she no longer loved him just because he couldn't cast a few housework spells, is that it?"
Severus leapt from his seat and went to punch James; not just for this string of insults, but because of everything his counterpart had put him through in his past, for haunting his life after losing Lily to him, and for ever trying to deny him access to the girl he had lost for so long…and now got to spend eternity with, while all he had was a chance. Not a guarantee…a mere chance.
Before he could slam his fist into James' glasses, Lily grabbed him and pulled him back.
"No, Sev!" she shrieked. "He isn't worth it!"
James frowned. "You'll regret ever trying to lay a slimy finger on me!"
He stomped out of the compartment and almost collided with an older student, already dressed in his robes, and he was sporting a shiny badge with the letter P on it. Severus' heart sank as he realized who he was. The big giveaway was his sleek, lengthy, blonde hair and sharp face.
It was the alternate, younger version of Lucius Malfoy.
"What's all this?" he asked with a sneer.
"Nothing…Prefect!" replied James with sarcastic venom. He had noticed the green and the serpent emblem on Malfoy's robes.
James stalked off but Malfoy blocked Sirius from following him as he slinked into the compartment with him, Severus and Lily.
"First years." he said in an oily voice. "You will do well to obey all the school rules…and the prefects."
"I will never obey you, Lucius." snarled Sirius.
"Ah, yes. Nobody in the family has much of a decent opinion of you, Sirius." said Malfoy. "Regulus has been saying that you're becoming quite the rebel. Often complaining of our righteous cause."
"What cause might that be?" asked Severus coldly.
"The cause to keep the purity of wizarding blood alive. To eradicate the filth that has contaminated wizarding kind and then forced it into isolation when it could not be comprehended!" declared Malfoy almost dictatorially.
"Excuse me?!"
It was Lily's turn to be held back by Severus.
"Ah, a Muggle, are you?" sneered Malfoy, turning his nose up at her.
"A Muggle-born witch." corrected Lily.
"Nevertheless, you do not belong on this train." said Malfoy with no hesitation or guilt. "You should pull the cord right now and scamper off home."
"She's not going anywhere." said Severus, placing himself in front of her.
"Indeed?" said Malfoy, with a raised eyebrow. "And whom might you be to disagree with a prefect's opinion?"
"I am Severus Prince, and coming from a line of Pure-bloods, I have the opinion that we would have died out long ago if it weren't for our interaction with Muggles. As much as I hate to say it, I think Black there has got a point, and has the right idea. Purity of blood is not what's important. We all have magic, pure bloods, half-bloods and Muggle-borns alike. We're all the same, despite what bloodlines suggest to close-minded fools like you!"
Malfoy's teeth bared.
"Spoken like a rogue Prince, a bloody Gryffindor." he said maliciously. "Pity you haven't been Sorted yet. But judging by your blood traitor qualities, I am sure I will have many opportunities to put you in place, Prince."
"Oh, by the way." called Severus, as Malfoy turned to leave the compartment. "All those letters your family sent to my grandfather…barely made a difference, they were all ash by the time he was done with them."
Malfoy stared darkly back at Severus, then his eyes flitted in disgust towards Lily, and towards Black with false pity.
"You will regret your misled views one day, Sirius. Maybe we can reform you yet." he muttered, and with that, slipped out of the compartment and out of sight.
"I'm sorry, Lily." said Severus. "The Malfoys are a notorious group of purists."
Lily embraced him soothingly. "You warned me things could get ugly. It's okay. You can't help how others act and feel."
Severus sighed in relief. Then he was suddenly aware that Sirius was still in the compartment and staring at them both with a confused expression.
"You really don't care about her being Muggle-born, do you?" he said.
"No, she's my best friend. I don't care about her bloodline. Her sister and I have become friends too, and she has no magic abilities." affirmed Severus sharply.
"Sev may be from a Pure blood family on one side, but he is still a Half-blood and a good guy. He never held my being from a Muggle family against me. If it wasn't for him, I may not have found out who I was until I got my letter. He has helped me and my family in so many ways, I don't think I could ever repay him. He made me see my life in a whole new way, and I am so excited to start my life as a witch. But I would appreciate if you didn't hold his family's history against him!" added Lily, equally sharp in pitch.
Sirius looked between them. He wasn't stupid; he could see they cared for each other. He was a rebel in the blood purity beliefs his family maintained, surely it's not impossible that this kid could be like him? Maybe he was able to successfully reform his parents…although he was curious about his life. How did this guy come to be a nice heir to a notorious family? How did the family accept him as a half-blood? What did the Prince family go through to change so abruptly?
"Ok." he said at last. "See you at the school, I suppose."
Sirius departed and went to look for James.
After he had gone, Severus and Lily had a very cheerful journey. They spoke of all the things they would now be able to do, they got changed into their robes, each facing away from one another with the blinds pulled down, they used the remains of their pocket money to buy many sweets from the trolley lady and guzzled on half the sweets until the sun went down and the moon rose through the dim clouds, and the train reached its platform. They were nearly at Hogwarts.
The two friends eagerly rushed to get off the train, and found themselves submerged amongst a black stream of students on the platform. Through all the hubbub, they heard a loud, booming voice call out.
"Firs' years! Firs' years, follow me!"
Severus hadn't heard that voice in over eleven years, and the last times he had heard it, the voice was mixed with anger, hatred and contempt.
It was the jolly but domineering voice of the half-giant gamekeeper of Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid.
(So here is Chapter 11. Chapter 12 will be worked on tomorrow and maybe updated the day after. Time will tell. Hope you all enjoy it. Thanks for reading!)