Chapter 3 :
She was lying wide awake in her bed. Today she was leaving for Hogwarts. -Finally
She got up and got ready. She headed down to breakfast where her parents were waiting for her.
'-Were you able to sleep last night?' her father asks.
'- Barely. I'm so excited but I'm also kind of nervous and I hate that I have to leave you guys.' Ruby said.
'- I know Honey but remember you can always borrow one of the school owls and write to us. We will instantly reply. You will make a lot of friends and learn great things. You will love it just as much as I did.' Her mother said with a small smile on her lips.
'- We will miss you a lot but you have Lia to keep you company.' Her father said. They finished breakfast and she collected her trunk. They made their way to Kings Cross. In front of a wall between platforms nine and ten they stopped.
'- We can go further with you. A barrier hinders your father to enter the platform.' Her mother said.
Ruby faced her parents. She wasn't ready to say goodbye but she knew she had to. She walked over and hugged them tightly.
'- I will miss you so much! I will write to you as soon as possible.' She said with teary eyes.
'- Have a great time honey. We will see you for Christmas. I love you' Her father replied.
'- You have to walk through the brick wall. If you are nervous you can run. It helps.' Her mother said gently.
'- I will miss you, Ruby. We love you very much. Take care of yourself and Lia.' Her mum said.
'- I love you both very much and I will miss you a lot.' Ruby said. She hugged them both tightly and then she made her way to the wall. It looked pretty solid so she began to run. She closed her eyes and suddenly she was standing in front of a marvelous red train. The Hogwarts express. She made her way over to one oft he carriages. The had Lia in one hand and her trunk in her other. With difficulties, she lifted her trunk into the train and when she found an empty compartment she entered. She lefts Lia's cage on the bench and tried to put her trunk on the upper compartment. She realized too late that the trunk was about to squash her when a pair of hands grabbed hold oft he falling trunk and helped her.
'- Oii what are you doing ? trying to get out of school by getting crushed by a trunk?' He said laughing.
'-Haha no I was just convinced that I was strong enough to lift my trunk all alone. Thank you were much! I would have had a great start if you didn't save me.' She said gently.
'- Always at your service.' He said winkingly.
'- I'm Charlie Weasley. I am starting my sixth year here at Hogwarts. And you are?' he asked
'- I'm Ruby Fineau. I'm just starting Hogwarts.' She said.
'- My brothers are starting this year as well. They are quite the troublemakers. I hope they behave otherwise I will hear from my mother. Speaking of which. I have to head outside again and say goodbye. I will see you around Ruby?' he asked.
'- That would be great Charlie.' She said smiling. He smiled back at her and left her alone in the compartment. She sat beside the window and opened Lias cage. The cat gratefully took the opportunity to leave the cage and get comfortable on the bench.
She looked out of the window and saw families which only could have been wizards. They would have been spotted as soon as they walked into muggle London. Not far from her window she spotted Charlie and his family. It was not hard no miss them with seven redheads standing in a crowd of peoples.
'-What took you so long Charlie ?' older women asked, which was probably his mother while fussing over two boys.'
'-I prevented the first year from getting crushed by a trunk.' Charlie replied.
'-Oh look at the little prefect.' One of the boys said.
'- and don't forget he's quidditch captain too.' The other one added.
'-How can we even be related?' the first boy asked while rolling his eyes. Ruby quickly noticed that the two boys were twins.
'- Fred and George Weasley I want nothing but the best behavior while you're at Hogwarts. There better be not send one owl home about you two causing some troubles.' Their mother replied with a stern look.
'- Why should be causing troubles? We are angels !' one of the twins replied but with so much sarcasm in his voice that a little girl giggled. The boys looked at her and winked.
'- Charlie will you keep an eye on your brothers?' his mother asked him a little desperate.
'- I will do my best but you know Fred and George. They attract trouble.' Charlie said shrugging.
They said their goodbyes with their mother each giving them a bone-crushing hug and the twins complaining about her trying to kill them sot hey couldn't cause trouble at Hogwarts. When the little girl cried, they leaned down to her and whispered something in her ear. She began to smile immediately and nodded. Their mother eyed them suspiciously but they but on an innocent face, which Ruby only guessed they perfected over the years.
The department door was open and standing in the doorway was a tall pretty girl with dark skin, brown eyes and long braided black hair. She smiled at Ruby.
'- Hi is there a place for one more? Everywhere else is full.' She asked.
'-I think the compartment has a place for one more.' Ruby answered smiling back at her.
'-Perfect!' Her smile grew wider when she sat in front of Ruby.
'- Hi my name is Angelina Johnson. And you are?' Angelina asked.
'- I'm Ruby Fineau. Nice to meet you, Angelina.' Ruby stated.
'- So are you starting Hogwarts this year as well.' Angelina asked curiously.
'- Yes I am. Considering that a few weeks ago I didn't even know Hogwarts existed.' Ruby answered.
'- Oh so you are a Muggleborn then?' Angelina asked.
'- Funnily I am not. My mother is a witch but kept it a secret and my dad is a muggle.' Ruby explained not keen to deepen the subject further.
Angelina picked on her change of emotions and decided not to ask any further questions regarding this topic. So instead she asked
'- Did you have good holidays ?' When Angelina saw the smile appearing on her face she felt relieved. She didn't want to lose her first friend she met. They both talked about their holidays and got to know each other in the next couple of hours.'
'- What do you mean you don't live in Britain ?' Angelina blurted out. Ruby laughed at this reaction.
'- I am living in Switzerland.' She replied.
'- Oh wow that sounds amazing. I always wanted to live abroad.' Angelina replied.
'- You are welcome to visit me during our vacation.' Ruby said. They both looked at each other with the biggest smile on their face. They both knew they just found a friend in one another and they were happy to be together to face this unknown place.
'- I'd love that' Angelina replied.
They both were scared when the compartment door opened. Standing in the doorway were three boys. Two of which she recognized and a shorter boy with dark skin and frizzy hair. The three of them didn't realize they scared the two girls as they were looking over their shoulder, slightly out of breath.
'- Ehm Hello?' Angelina said with a confused look on her face.
'- Oh hi there. Do you mind us joining you ?' one of the twins asked. They shook their heads and the boys sat down. One of the twins sat down next to Angelina with the other boy next to him and the other twin lifted her cat on his lap to he could sit next to her. She looked between the twins to find any differences but she couldn't. She mentally made a note to look for any differences.
'- So from who were you running away from?' Ruby asked with a smirk on her face. Both the twins and the boy looked at her in shock. Before they could say anything she added.
'- It was not hard to realize that you did something. You were looking over your shoulders to see if someone followed you and you where out of breath.' Ruby listed all her observations that led to her conclusion. Angelina smirked back at her and looked at the boys. When they realized she found it rather funny they visibly relaxed. A mischievous look appeared on both the twins' faces.
'- Do we have a prankster in our center ?' the twin next to her asked.
'- I believe we have three. For the moment I don't count myself nor Angelina.' Ruby said.
'- Let me introduce us properly. I am Fred Weasly.' Fred said while standing up.
'- and I am George Weasley.' George said standing up mimicking his brother.
'- prankster extraordinaire…'
'-at your service.' They said while taking a bow.
'- And I am Lee Jordan.' Lee cut in. Both girls laughed at their actions. They both looked at each other and stood up as well while the twins sat down.
'- Messers Weasly and Jordan I am delighted to introduce you to Miss Angelina Johnson.' Ruby said with exaggerated gestures while Angelina was taking a bow.
'- And I am delighted to introduce you to Miss Ruby Fineau.' Angelina stated in the same manner as Ruby took a bow. They all laughed while sitting back down.
'- So from who were you running from?' Angelina asked.
The boys all shared a look before George answered.
'- We let some dung bombs loose in a Slytherin compartment. If that's not bad enough we ran straight into our older brother Percy. He not quite fond of our abilities.'
They all laughed and started a conversation to get to know one another. All the fear Ruby was feeling before coming to Hogwarts was suddenly gone and she was happy to have found a group of friends. They looked all at each other knowing that they have just created a bond. She was ready to face everything her first year was holding for her.