It was a foggy, rainy day in the British countryside. Through the mist, there were only rolling green hills as far as the eye could see, the village half-obscured by the grey clouds that hovered only feet off the earth. The only thing of interest was a charcoal-grey car that lumbered slowly down the country roads.
In the back seat of this car sat a girl. She was tall despite her about ten years of age, her thick brown hair tied back in a high ponytail. She wore jeans, trainers, and her favorite comfy blue jumper. With her large hazel eyes, she gloomily watched the raindrops streak down the window. Every once in a while, she could see her mother's concerned gaze on her in the rearview mirror, but she stubbornly ignored this.
"It won't be forever, Lizzy," her mother said softly, peering alternately at her and out the windows as though trying to catch a glimpse of something. The girl, Lizzy Taylor, said nothing, instead maintaining her focus on the raindrops while she allowed her thoughts to wander. Even the book she had seated beside her, A Squib's Guide to the Wizarding World, wasn't enough to hold the tidal wave of melancholy thoughts back.
It had only been a couple of weeks since her first manifestation of magic. She had woken in the middle of the night to a nightmare after which her ample imagination had gotten the better of her. Thinking she'd seen something in the shadows, she'd reacted, accidentally sending a wave of fire across the room and setting her dresser drawers alight. Her panicked screams alerted her parents, who had come running and quickly helped her smother the flames.
Needless to say, Lizzy hadn't slept anymore that night. Terrified of setting her home on fire again, she stayed awake, reading anything she could get her hands on. Early the next morning, she'd woken her mother, insisting that she would not go to school. It hadn't taken much more conversation before her mother explained that Lizzy was probably a witch, just like Lizzy's cousin Luna, and what she had done was most definitely magic. Her mother, Calla, was a squib- a non-magical person born into a magical family. Luna's father, Xenophilius, was Calla's younger brother, but they hadn't spoken in years.
"Look, Lizzy, we're here," her mother's voice interrupted her thoughts, and Lizzy's eyes widened in shock and confusion. In front of her sat the oddest-looking house the young girl had ever seen. It looked like a castle tower or a giant grey chess rook, and was surrounded by a strange-looking assortment of plants. The one nearest the walkway to the front doorstep had little floating orange fruits surrounding it. But…fruits didn't float…right?
"Come along, dear," Calla called to her daughter, who was staring at the house. Somehow, her mother was unfazed by the strange sight, as though she'd seen floating fruit every day. Lizzy grimaced. Of course, her mother probably had seen such things every day as a child.
Slowly, and with as much attitude as she could muster, Lizzy sullenly gathered her suitcase from the boot of the car and stomped up the steps behind her mother. She heard her mother sigh wearily before ringing the bell, simultaneously noticing a sign next to the floating fruit that read, "Keep off the dirigible plums."
A moment later there was a shuffle from behind the door and a sound of a bolt being unlocked, and Lizzy's eyes fell upon a small girl with dirty-blonde hair and protuberant silver eyes.
"Oh, hello, Auntie Calla," the girl said in a dreamy voice. "Daddy's in his office." Without another word, the girl, who could only be Lizzy's cousin, turned and walked away, apparently expecting them to follow. The two visitors carefully picked their way through the house, which was full of unusual odds and ends that Lizzy did not recognize, following Luna to a closed door. The blonde girl tapped on it quietly.
"Daddy," she called in her vague voice, "Auntie Calla is here to see you."
There was some shuffling after a moment, then the door opened a crack and Lizzy was startled to see the man behind it looking wan and disheveled. His dirty-blonde hair, a shade or two paler than his daughter's, was lank and looked like it had not been washed in some time. He looked extremely thin and frail, and he had dark circles under his eyes as if he had not slept in days. Lizzy saw the man- her uncle Xenophilius, she supposed- give her mother a hard look.
"Girls, why don't you run along and play?" Calla suggested in a would-be-calm voice. "I must have a talk with my brother."
"Don't worry Auntie," Luna piped up suddenly. "Daddy will come round eventually." Lizzy looked at her cousin in astonishment. Did she really just say that? But Luna paid it no mind, instead seizing Lizzy's hand. "Your room will be up this way, next to mine," she said, towing the brunette by her arm toward the spiral stairs so quickly that Lizzy barely had time to grab her suitcase.
As they retreated, Lizzy heard her mother say, "I'm sorry to do this to you, Xeno, especially right now, but I really have no choice…" Lizzy's expression hardened, but allowed her cousin to continue to lead her to her room.
The room was a half-circle due to the tower's structure, with a large window facing the stream outside. There was a small bed with lavender sheets and a purple comforter to match. A door on the far side stood open to reveal a small bathroom, which seemed to also connect to Luna's room, and a wardrobe and desk stood between the main door and the window. Lizzy set down her suitcase, looking around, trying not to feel uncomfortable by the blonde's large eyes which she could almost feel trained on her back.
"You are upset," she said suddenly, in an almost detached, curious way. Lizzy whipped around to stare at her.
"What makes you think that?" She asked, struggling to keep her expression neutral, though inwardly seething. Luna pointed just above Lizzy's head as the latter took a seat on top of the purple bedspread. The former made herself comfortable in the windowsill
"Wrackspurts," the blonde said, as though that explained everything. Lizzy looked up in panic, hoping that wrackspurts were not some sort of large magical monster or bug that were about to eat her, but found nothing amiss.
"Wrack-spurts?" She asked, skeptical. But Luna nodded seriously.
"They float through your ears and make your brain go fuzzy. Or at least, that's what my mum told me…" Luna trailed off, and Lizzy looked up to see a metaphorical cloud cover her cousin's face. Lizzy shifted uncomfortably. She supposed she ought to say something- her mother had informed her of her Aunt Pandora's passing before they arrived, saying it had only been a month or two since the accident- but as she couldn't think of anything helpful to say, kept silent. Instead, she continued examining the room. She was saved from having to make any more conversation by the arrival of her mother.
"It looks like you're getting settled in well," Calla observed, sitting down on the bed next to her daughter. Lizzy stared moodily down at her hands, which were gripping the knees of her jeans tightly. "We will come visit you next summer when you've finished your first year," her mother continued. "Now remember, don't cause any trouble for Xeno, alright?" She asked sternly. Lizzy glared, but nodded. "And be careful with your magic. It can be dangerous, ok?" Lizzy nodded again. "Good."
Calla wrapped her arms around her daughter, though Lizzy remained stiff in her mother's arms. Her mother pulled back to look at Lizzy, and the girl tried not to notice the tears welling up in Calla's eyes.
"Mum, don't cry," she grumbled finally. Calla gave a breathy laugh and sniffled a little.
"Oh, yes, that reminds me," Calla said suddenly, "While you are here, you will take my maiden name instead. From now on, you will be Elizabeth Lovegood rather than Elizabeth Taylor. Xeno will get all the documents straightened out for you." Lizzy looked up at her mother in outrage.
"But-"
"No! No buts!" Her mother insisted, looking at her sternly. Then her expression softened. "You will understand when you're older, dear." With that, she stood, gave Lizzy a final kiss on the cheek, then disappeared from view. Lizzy listened as the door downstairs closed, the car in the yard roared to life, and rumbled away. She tried to keep her eyes from filling up, but the traitorous tears welled anyway.
"The wrackspurts are really thick now," Luna piped up, startling Lizzy, who had forgotten her cousin was there. Lizzy wiped at her eyes impatiently, wishing Luna would go somewhere- anywhere- else. "You probably want to be alone," Luna said knowingly, and with that, flounced out of the room. Lizzy hoped she hadn't said that out loud, or worse, that Luna could actually read her mind or something. But nonetheless, she sighed in relief when the door shut behind the blonde, leaving her alone in the room.
As it turned out, it was several days before Lizzy saw Xenophilius again. Luna would drag Lizzy downstairs for meals, which were mainly sent over by a Mrs. Weasley, a magical neighbor who lived somewhat nearby, but Xenophilius was usually nowhere to be seen. Luna would take a small portion on a plate to her father's office before eating her own meal. Lizzy, herself, otherwise mostly stayed in her room as well, re-reading all the books she had brought from home to pass the time. Luna sometimes kept her company, but Lizzy was never overly friendly, hoping to make it plain that she wanted to be left alone.
It wasn't until the documents arrived for Lizzy's official name change completion notice that Xenophilius made his presence known at lunch one day. He looked, if anything, worse than the last time Lizzy had seen him.
"You're official now," he said softly, handing a sheaf of parchment to the confused Lizzy, who took it warily. "Owl delivered it this morning." Then he disappeared, leaving the two girls, the parchment, and the food behind.
Luna stared at Lizzy with wide eyes, but Lizzy's attention was on the parchment, which was clutched tightly in her frozen hand. "Well? Aren't you going to open it?" She asked, quirking her head to the side curiously. Lizzy mentally shook herself, then opened the envelope to reveal an official-looking document with, "Elizabeth Lovegood" spelled out in big letters across the middle. Lizzy couldn't quite keep the tears from filling her eyes. 'Lizzy Taylor,' the girl who'd gone to school with her friends, who shared a name with her father, mother, and siblings, no longer existed. Now there was only Elizabeth Lovegood.
Leaving her sandwich and getting quickly to her feet, Lizzy fled out the door and down to the stream. Sitting down on a large rock, she finally let out all the pent-up anger, fear, hurt, and frustration from the past few weeks in huge, gasping sobs. Her family had officially given her away. Now she was all alone in a strange world with strange rules and abilities and creatures she didn't understand.
Your existence is a mistake, a voice whispered in her head. You are dangerous, that's why they gave you away.
Lizzy closed her eyes against the voice, but it kept on speaking without her permission.
Your father is afraid of you, it continued. He wishes-
"MEOW!"
The sudden sound jerked Lizzy from her thoughts. She opened her eyes to find a fluffy grey kitten with bright blue eyes staring at her.
"Meow!" It said again, and jumped up into her lap. Lizzy had never been allowed a pet before, so she really wasn't sure what she should do. Luckily, it seemed that the kitten somehow knew what she wanted, because it jumped down from the girl's lap and sat down, looking at Lizzy expectantly.
"I don't have any food, if that's what you're after," she said to it. The kitten only licked its paw unconcernedly and began washing its face. Lizzy sighed and looked away, across the open fields and hills full of grass. But before her mind went back on the track it had been on previously, the kitten jumped up into her lap again, purring contentedly as it rubbed against her hand. Lizzy couldn't help but smile a bit though her tears.
"Sorry kitty, but I'm not sure if Uncle Xeno will let you to come home with me."
"Don't worry Lizzy, magical cats are always welcome with Daddy," a voice piped in behind her. Lizzy spun around, quickly wiping at her face to see Luna standing some distance behind her, head cocked to the side curiously. Lizzy gave her cousin a flat look.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to hear her say she prefers to be called Ms. Twinklekins and that she loves you," Luna said seriously. Lizzy stared uncertainly.
"You…you can understand her?" Luna nodded.
"Cats are easy, especially magical cats." Luna studied Lizzy thoughtfully for a moment, then added, "She also said these particular wrackspurts were trying to damage you. It's strange- I don't think wrackspurts normally do that."
Lizzy looked around, but again saw nothing. She raised an eyebrow. "Wrackspurts again, huh?" Luna nodded, her huge grey eyes unblinking.
"I could see them from all the way up at the house swarming around you. There were quite a lot of them actually. And some of them were an odd color."
Lizzy stood, taking Ms. Twinklekins with her…or whatever the kitten's name was, tucking her inside her sweater. "So…how come I can't see them then?" Luna's serene expression did not change at her cousin's challenge. She shrugged.
"Most people can't," she replied. "Or, at least, that's what my mum said. Daddy didn't believe in them either for a long time. But Ms. Twinklekins can see them, too. That's why she appeared here so suddenly." Lizzy stared between her cousin and the kitten in her arms, wondering if Luna had officially gone crazy. Then again, she herself had just made fire appear in her bedroom only a couple weeks ago. That shouldn't be possible either.
"Anyway," Luna went on, "Daddy won't mind if you bring Ms. Twinklekins home as long as you look after her." Lizzy's eyes went wide.
"But…but I don't know how to take care of a cat," she protested. "Mum and Dad never let me have a pet before." Luna smiled dreamily.
"Perhaps we can ask Mrs. Weasley for help," she suggested. "She probably knows all about things like that." And with that, Luna set back off up to the tower, with Lizzy hurrying along behind her with the kitten, who Lizzy was adamant would not be known as "Ms. Twinklekins".
Before Lizzy knew it, she'd been with Luna and her father for several months, making it now about the middle of July. She had finally met Mrs. Weasley in person, who, as it turned out, did actually have some pointers for taking care of her kitten. Ms. Twinklekins, who apparently would not answer to anything else, followed Lizzy around constantly. When the girl wasn't reading or drawing, Ms. Twinklekins kept her busy by mewling to be played with or to demand that Lizzy pay attention to the newest thing she'd discovered. Often, those discoveries would come with certain disciplinary actions for said cat, who, it turned out, had a knack for finding rare, valuable, or dangerous things to play with. It certainly left her with little time for gloomy thoughts. Thus, the wrackspurts, though still troublesome, did not completely overwhelm her again.
Xenophilius was still a rare sight around the house, leaving the girls to mostly fend for themselves as far as things to do. Mrs. Weasley had shown the girls a few simple household and cooking methods, so they were able to make themselves food at least part of the time. Lizzy had also briefly met Luna's friend Ginny, Mrs. Weasley's daughter. She had pretty red hair and a mischievous streak a mile wide, which amused Lizzy as she quietly observed the redhead's interactions with her mother.
It so happened that this morning, which had begun like all the others since Lizzy had come to live in the Lovegood's household- with Ms. Twinklekins begging to be fed and Luna knocking on the door to signal the toast was ready- was actually a very special day. Just as the girls were finishing spreading jam on their toast, a tapping sounded on the kitchen window. Luna got up to open it, and a brown owl swooped in over their breakfasts, dropping a letter in the middle of Lizzy's jam-covered slice. Sighing slightly, Lizzy gingerly picked up the envelope with a thumb and forefinger, allowing Ms. Twinklekins to lick the jam off before tearing it open.
Dear Ms. Lovegood,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. …
"A wizard's school?" Lizzy wondered aloud. "Me?"
"Of course," Luna replied, as though Lizzy had been asking her. "Hogwarts is the school for almost all British witches and wizards, remember?" Lizzy raised an eyebrow at her cousin.
"Are you sure this isn't yours?" She asked. "It says, 'Ms. Lovegood'."
"That's you, isn't it?" Luna reminded her, her enormous eyes boring into Lizzy's. Lizzy's stomach flopped unhappily. Suddenly she wasn't very hungry anymore. "Besides, I turn eleven next year," Luna continued. "And, the envelope clearly said, 'Ms. Elizabeth Lovegood'."
Frowning, Lizzy snatched the envelope impatiently from the table, turning it over to read her name spelled in green ink on the front. So maybe it wasn't a mistake after all.
In the months since she'd come to live with the Lovegoods, there had been no more accidental magic. Luna, it seemed, had a large amount of control over her magic, even without a wand. Lizzy had had no such fortune…or misfortune, if you asked her. She was extremely relieved that no more magic had presented itself, and she wondered if maybe the whole thing had been a dream. Maybe…maybe she could actually go home to her family…but this envelope made it clear that such a thing was impossible. She was definitely magical, much to her dismay.
Just as her mind started to spiral wildly, Ms. Twinklepaws hopped up on her lap, happily mewing about the magical toy mouse that she'd caught once again. Mrs. Weasely had kindly picked up a few new cat toys for Lizzy and dropped them off with the last meal she'd brought by. Making an expression that was somewhere between a tight smile and a grimace, the girl scratched the kitten behind the ears and fluffed up her neck ruff, making the grey tabby purr happily. Luna helped further by dashing off to her room and returning a moment later with a couple heavy-looking books, plunking them down on the table with relish.
"I have some books about Hogwarts," she said, her voice still somehow taking on a dreamy quality even though she was slightly out of breath. Lizzy glanced at the book on top, which was titled, Hogwarts, A History. "They should help you get ready and keep the wrackspurts away. I'll talk to Daddy too, and see when we can get your school things from Diagon Alley."
Lizzy didn't know what that was, and at the point, she was content not to ask.
Within a week, Lizzy was finished with both of the borrowed tomes and was eagerly searching for any other information she could get her hands on. Hogwarts sounded like something out of a fairy tale with its moving portraits, enchanted ceilings, floating candles, and moving staircases. She'd read about the Four Founders and decided Hufflepuff would likely suit her best. She just wanted to be nice to people; she wasn't brave or ambitious or clever, that she knew. The Helga Hufflepuff painted by the author sounded like a warm woman that would take anyone as her grandchild, no matter who they were.
As a consequence, she had begun pestering Luna almost daily about going to a bookshop to find some more assorted volumes to peruse about the wizarding world as a whole. There was so much to know that she felt she had to keep soaking it all in until she understood enough details to not stand out like a sore thumb. Finally, Luna returned to her cousin with the news that Xenophilius had reluctantly agreed to take the girls to Diagon Alley the following week.
So it was that the following Thursday saw the two girls, dressed in jeans and t-shirts as usual, obediently trailing Xenophilius through the Floo into the Leaky Cauldron and down the street of Diagon Alley. Lizzy could hardly figure out what to examine first. However, Xenophilius was in his own world, as usual, and took no notice of Lizzy's awe at the displays of magical sweets, broomsticks, robes, and slimy-looking potion ingredients. He meandered on ahead, and Lizzy had to hurry to catch up.
They wandered about for some time, picking up some robes here, a cauldron there, finally making it to the bookshop. Once the substantial pile of text books was stacked on the counter waiting for her, another book caught Lizzy's eye- Great Wizarding Events of the 19th and 20th Centuries. Adding it to her pile, she paid for her things, then waved to Luna who guided her father over, who quickly shrunk the purchases.
"Last thing on the list is…a wand," Lizzy stated, glancing quickly down her list of required equipment. Xenophilius nodded.
"This way," he said, turning towards a small, cramped-looking shop. Peering through the window, Lizzy could make out a couple of people inside the store.
"Daddy, can we look in that shop for a bit while Lizzy's getting her wand?" Luna suggested suddenly, pointing to the Magical Menagerie. "Maybe they've heard of the Crumple-horned Snorkack." Lizzy felt a rush of gratitude for her cousin. She had really not loved the idea of getting a wand in front of the others. What if it was a mistake? What if she waved those sticks around like a fool, and nothing happened? Or worse, what if she burned the shop down?
Xenophilius' face broke into a ghost of a smile. "Of course, my Luna," he said, following the tiny blonde across the street. As soon as they were inside the shop, Lizzy slipped quietly into the wand store, which had, "Ollivander's," emblazoned on the sign above the door in gold lettering.
Sneaking a look around the corner, she caught a glimpse of a very old man with wild white hair behind the counter. He was speaking to a young boy with dark hair and glasses, about her age.
"Tricky customer, eh?" The old man was saying, sounding delighted. Lizzy could see a fairly large pile of boxes and wands piled on the counter in front of the boy and secretly hoped that would not be her fate in a few moments. The boy was frowning at the wand in his hand as he set it on the counter. "Let me see, let me see…" the man disappeared into the stacks for a moment, then returned with another several boxes. "Perhaps this…?"
The boy took one wand out of a box, then another, then another, until all of the wands were placed back on the counter with little change. By now, the boy was looking bewildered. Maybe all of this is a big trick, Lizzy thought wildly. Maybe somebody made this all up to trick us into buying stuff…
She tuned back into the exchange as the man came back with one final box. "I wonder…" he said, handing the wand to the boy. "Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches." As soon as the boy's fingers touched the wood of the handle, red and gold sparks shot from the tip. "Oh, bravo, Mr. Potter! Very good!" The old man said jubilantly. Then suddenly, his expression became one of intense concern and curiosity. "Curious…"
"Sorry," the boy asked after a moment when the man did not explain himself, "but what's curious?" The man fixed him with a very stern look.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. The phoenix whose tail feather resides in your wand gave one other feather. Only one. It is curious that you should be destined for this wand…when its brother gave you that scar." The old man pointed toward the boy's forehead, while the boy gingerly placed a hand to the spot the man had indicated with a slight gasp. "I think we can expect great things from you, Mr. Potter," the old man continued. "After all, He-
Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things as well. Terrible, but great." Lizzy could almost feel a chill running down her spine at the words.
She was so busy turning the man's words over in her mind that she didn't notice someone coming until they had smacked right into her.
"Ouch!" The boy who the old man had called, "Mr. Potter," had walked around the corner toward the exit and their heads had collided with a stunning amount of force. Both teens found themselves on the ground, heads aching spectacularly.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Lizzy cried, holding her head in her hands, eyes closed against the pain. She heard the boy gasp out in pain as well, then felt a tentative hand on her forearm.
"You…ok?" Potter asked haltingly through gritted teeth, and Lizzy peered through squinted eyelids at the boy. She caught a flash of bright green eyes behind his round spectacles, and, blinking, opened her eyes to look at him.
"Ye-yeah," she responded after a moment as he got to his feet, reaching out a hand to help her up too. They both swayed for a few seconds, rubbing their foreheads. Lizzy noticed when he pulled his hand away that his forehead bore a thin, lightning-shaped scar, presumably the scar the old man had been discussing earlier. The boy grimaced, then extended a hand to her.
"Sorry about that, should have been looking where I was going," he apologized. He looked her over. "Are you going to Hogwarts, too?" He asked. Lizzy nodded. She noticed that he was as tall as she was, something that was uncommon for boys her age. She was used to being taller than most everyone, including the boys. He did look rather thin though, but she supposed that his oversized clothes might have added to it. It was then she noticed that he was watching her expectantly. She shook herself and took his hand to shake.
"Sorry, I'm Lizzy Tay- I mean, Lizzy Lovegood," she replied back, and he gave a small smile.
"Harry Potter," he introduced himself. The two stood there awkwardly for a moment, not sure what else to say.
Just then, a deep voice called out, "'Ey, 'Arry! Yeh there?" Harry Potter winced slightly, then turned to leave.
"I better go. It was nice meeting you! Maybe I'll see you at school?" He said with a slight wave.
Lizzy smiled a little. "Yeah, see you," she replied as the boy raced away. It took her a moment to remember what she'd come into the shop for, but as she turned back in the direction she'd been going jumped out of her skin at the sight of the wild-haired old man watching her from the shadows.
"Are you coming in or not, miss?" He asked in slight amusement. Hurrying past to hide her flaming red cheeks, she made her way into the shop. The old man huffed a laugh, but did not mention Harry Potter again, and for that, she was grateful.
Luckily for her, her wand was not found after going through half of the store to find it like Potter. Her wand was a rather long one, fourteen and a fourth inches of laurel wood and phoenix feather. "Hard flexibility," Mr. Ollivander had called it.
"Wands of laurel wood are often paired with those witches or wizards who have a strong sense of integrity," Ollivander explained. "They have been said to never be able to perform a dishonorable act. They also abhor laziness, making them a perfect match for someone who dislikes being bored." There was a pause as Lizzy studied the wand. Ollivander continued. "Phoenix feather cores are known to be capable of the greatest range of magic. They tend to be picky about potential owners, possibly because phoenixes are independent and detached from the world around them." Lizzy placed the wand back into the box, handed over eleven gold coins, and thanked the old man before turning to leave.
Luna and her father were just leaving the Magical Menagerie when Lizzy made it back outside to the street. Within minutes, they were the rook house, and Xenophilius was returning Lizzy's new belongings to their original size. Lizzy spent the rest of the evening sorting through her school things and organizing them carefully in her trunk, glad that things were starting to look up for her.
And yet, she was still curious about the boy she had met at the wand shop. Who was that other wizard Ollivander had mentioned that seemed to have a brother wand with Potter's? How did he get that weird scar on his forehead? And why did he seem to be dressed in clothes that nearly drowned him? That Potter kid was…different, that's for sure. Though, Luna Lovegood was her own cousin, so she wasn't sure she could say much.
A month later, Luna and Xenophilius were dropping Lizzy off at the train station with trunk and Ms. Twinklekins in tow.
"Thanks, Uncle Xeno," Lizzy said politely. The man nodded to her with a small smile, though he said nothing.
Through all the months they had been living in the same house, Lizzy still wasn't sure what to make of Xenophilius. The man was constantly holed up in his study, though Luna had told her that he ran a newspaper of sorts, the Quibbler. Lizzy had found an old issue laying on the kitchen table one day, and found that it was primarily about legendary magical creatures, such as the wrackspurts or the Crumple-horned Snorkack. As far as Lizzy had read, such things didn't actually exist, though Luna and Xeno were convinced that they were real, just never actually seen. The newspaper was full of reported sightings of such creatures and the investigations that were done into the matter, though it seemed that nothing ever came of it.
"The platform is that way," Xenophilius pointed her to the right. "You're looking for Platform 9 3/4." Lizzy looked at him questioningly, but he seemed to have stopped paying attention to her. Lizzy was taken aback when Luna stepped up and gave her a tight hug.
"Mind the wrackspurts," Luna whispered in her ear as she let go. "You never know what kind of tricks they might get up to if you leave them unchecked." Lizzy gingerly hugged her cousin back, stepping back after a moment, but knowing this was Luna's way of showing she cared. Then, squaring her shoulders, she took a firm hold on her trolly and Ms. Twinklekins' cage and made her way into the busy station.
It only took her a few minutes to realize that Platform 9 3/4 was not a normal platform in the train station. She found Platform 9 and Platform 10, but 9 3/4 was nowhere to be found. She looked around, hoping she could figure out what to do without raising questions. Luna had told her that non-magical folks weren't to know about magic.
"Think you're being funny, do you?" A loud voice sounded from behind her. Turning around, she caught sight of a familiar boy with black hair and glasses showing an attendant his ticket as his snowy owl shrieked unhappily in her cage. She stifled a laugh. Naturally, the Muggle attendant wouldn't know that Platform 9 3/4 even existed, let alone how to find it. Shaking her head in amusement, she stepped up beside Potter, grabbing his arm.
"Sorry about my friend here," she told the attendant as she began leading Potter away. Covering her mouth conspiratorially, she continued in a carrying whisper, "He's American."
Harry's eyes narrowed. "Hey!" He protested, but Lizzy didn't give him anymore time to speak and hurried him away from the man and out of sight. As soon as they were safely behind a pillar, Harry wrenched his arm from her grip.
"What the bloody hell was that?" He protested. "What do you mean, 'He's American'? Lizzy sighed, folding her arms across her chest.
"You're welcome," she said sarcastically. "I was trying to explain why you would be asking weird questions! Muggles can't know about magic, remember? So, logically, they wouldn't know about the magical platform either!" Harry deflated.
"I…forgot," he mumbled, looking sheepish. After a moment, he met her gaze. "You…wouldn't happen to know how to get on the train, would you?" Lizzy sighed again, shaking her head.
"My uncle isn't the most detail-oriented person," she grimaced. "He told me what I'm looking for, but not how to get there."
Just then, as they were looking around wondering what to do, Lizzy heard a familiar voice saying, "…packed with Muggles, of course…" Her head snapped around to look, as did Harry's, and sure enough, there was Mrs. Weasley surrounded by five other redheads. She caught sight of Lizzy and waved her over.
"Hello there, Lizzy dear," she greeted her cheerfully. "All ready for school?"
Lizzy smiled tightly. "About that…could you show us how to get to the train? My uncle isn't good at explaining things."
Mrs. Weasley clicked her tongue impatiently. "Of course he's not," she said under her breath, though Lizzy could still hear her. "Right then, follow me, dear. And," she looked past Lizzy to gaze at Harry behind her, "are you lost too, dear?" Harry nodded.
"If I could just…tag along…?" He asked hopefully. Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly.
"Not to worry dears. This way," she replied, waving them along to follow her red-headed children. They walked along until they stopped short behind the tallest of the red-haired boys, who was facing the barrier between platforms nine and ten.
"Now, watch," Mrs. Weasley said to the two additions. "Percy, you first."
The tallest boy in the front grabbed hold of his trolly very firmly and began walking straight at the barrier between the platforms. Lizzy's eyes widened, being very sure not to blink. As Percy neared the barrier, he broke into a run…and vanished completely. Next went a pair of twins, one after another, and then a boy called Ron, who Mrs. Weasley had told her was the same age as her and Harry.
"It's really very simple. You just walk toward the barrier between the platforms. Best run if you're nervous," Mrs. Weasley encouraged them.
Lizzy exchanged a dubious look with Harry, then began to follow the path Ron had just taken. She braced herself, but the impending impact with the wall never came. Instead, she found herself staring at a bright red steam engine with the words, "Hogwarts Express," painted on the side.
"Wicked," Harry breathed from behind her. Lizzy turned to see him gazing at the train, his emerald eyes shining in awe. She couldn't help but smile a little herself; it was, indeed, very cool.
"Come on, firsties," one of the red-haired twins exclaimed, taking hold of Lizzy's trunk while the other took Harry's.
"Train's about to leave," said the other. "You'd best get a seat."
In the shuffle, Lizzy lost sight of Harry as they fumbled with their familiars' cages and boarded the train cars. She wandered down the train, looking for an empty compartment with Ms. Twinklekins in tow. Not finding an empty place to sit, she headed back the way she'd come, finally finding Harry sitting with Ronald Weasley and made to come in, when suddenly she stopped short.
"…not sure what you were doing, hanging around with that Lovegood girl," Ron was saying. "They live over the hill from us. The whole family is as loony as they come, honestly…"
Lizzy's expression hardened, and she didn't stay to hear anymore. She walked by unnoticed, finally sitting down in a compartment with several other girls about her age, many of whom looked nervous. They allowed Lizzy to sit with them, though, and Lizzy quickly hid her face behind a book to shield herself from the discomfort.
The trip was largely uneventful; a boy and girl poked their heads in to see about a lost toad (which no one had seen), and a trio of boys looking for trouble stalked past at one point. But after several hours, during which Lizzy had gotten about halfway through her new book, the train finally slowed and pulled into the station near Hogwarts.
After a boat ride across the lake, which was overseen by a very large man called Hagrid, and being met by a Professor McGonagall, the first years prepared to enter the Great Hall for the first time. McGonagall had explained that students would participate in the Sorting Ceremony in order to determine their "family" for the duration of their time at school. Lizzy knew all this, of course; she had researched the houses and their character values endlessly. After a few minutes, the first years followed their Deputy Headmistress into the Great Hall, where she placed a stool before the gathered upperclassmen. On top of the stool, she set a worn wizard's hat, which opened its mouth, and began to sing.
Once the hat had finished its song, McGonagall began calling names alphabetically. Lizzy noticed that several of the girls she'd sat with on the train were sorted into Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. The three boys who'd been looking for trouble were put into Slytherin. The boy and girl who'd looked for the toad both went to Gryffindor. Finally, Lizzy's name was called.
Carefully so as not to trip over her own feet, Lizzy made her way to the stool and sat down, putting on the hat so it covered her eyes.
Hufflepuff, then? Lizzy thought to the hat, wondering if she'd gotten it right. In her mind, she could feel the hat figuratively raising an eyebrow at her.
Is that what you think? The hat asked wryly. The fact that you preempted me shows your true place. You've done your research, but you don't have a clear picture of who you are.
I'm nobody, Lizzy thought stubbornly. Just a girl who-
-Who has a keen intellect and outstanding reasoning, the hat cut her off. And thus it shall be… RAVENCLAW!
Lizzy's jaw dropped. She didn't really think of herself as the type that studied to the exclusion of all else. She mainly read novels, anyway. She didn't take extra classes or work ahead on her homework.
Vaguely, she noticed that there was polite applause sounding throughout the room. She caught Harry's eye, who was still waiting to be sorted and he gave her a half-hearted smile. She returned it uncertainly, then remembered that she was mad at him and looked away toward the Ravenclaw table, where her housemates were waiting for her. Removing the hat, she hurried to her seat, giving an uncertain smile to those who were patting her on the back in congratulations.
After a few more names, Harry was sorted into Gryffindor, along with Ron Weasley near the end of the list. And before she knew it, the Sorting was over and the feast began.
Lizzy quietly ate her dinner, listening intently to the conversations going on around her. A few of the first years were asking about classes and professors; a couple of older students were debating the merits of charms verses transfiguration; and yet other older students were gossiping about their classmates and their summer breaks. Lizzy was content to just soak everything in for the moment.
Some time later, after the feast had finished, the students had been led to their houses, and her roommates had selected their beds and shut off their lights, Lizzy lay awake in her four-poster bed with Ms. Twinklepaws curled up to her side, going over the events of the day in her head.
It seemed she couldn't count on Potter to be friends; she was going to have to make it on her own. Nothing she wasn't used to, honestly. Her classmates in primary school had thought her strange, and often only buddied up to her in order to attempt to copy her homework. It also seemed that taking the Lovegood name had not worked in her favor, as her mother had originally hoped. Luna and her father apparently had a reputation of being a bit odd, which Lizzy had picked up by association.
Oh well. Soon it would be time for classes. Classes were something Lizzy could handle. Checking to make sure Ms. Twinklepaws was comfortable, Lizzy rolled over and fell asleep.