Chapter 3
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"HURRY!" I screamed through the hallway as I tugged on my ankle boots. I looked around the living room, boxes lined against the walls and saw my book still on the dinner table. I went to go grab it, but nearly fell over my damn trunk. Cursing softly, I hopped to the table to pick up my book.
"I'm here! I'm he- What happened?" Remus stopped in his tracks as he saw me limp.
"Just bumped my shin against the trunk." I grumbled and glared at the wrong doer. I turned to look at my uncle, who was standing there with his coat half on and a trunk in one hand. "Klaar om te vertrekken?"
"Speak English, cub."
"I'm not in Hogwarts yet." I pointed out. "My English is perfect, you know that." I huffed as I put on my black coat over my blue robes. "So, I can speak Dutch or French to you if I want to." I stuck my tongue out at my guardian. My uncle put his trunk on the floor and placed his hands on my shoulders and searched my eyes.
"Are you sure you are okay with going to Hogwarts? To moving to England?"
"Yes. I know we can't stay here. It's been fun while it lasted and to our surprise, we stayed here much longer than we anticipated."
He chuckled lightly, letting his hands drop. "I know, five years. Must be a record." He grinned. "But I know you made friends here, good friends. Transferring you to another school, at fifteen."
"Fifteen and ten months." I clicked my tongue, and he just shook his head with a grin. "I'll be fine, I promise." I glanced at my watch. "But we better get going, or we will be late."
"Alright, alright. You know..." Remus started slowly as I put my finger on the yellow plastic cup. My book tucked into my coat and my trunk in my free hand. "Good things come to those who wait."
"You know what happens if we wait? We miss the train!" Uncle Moony laughed as we disappeared from the house, we had lived in for the past five years.
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Our little yellow portkey had transported us to an empty room in King's Cross train station. I glanced around the corner to see the hustle of people going about. Remus had pulled a cart from the hallway and placed our trunks on it. I tucked my outer robes a little tighter around me and turned to look at him.
"Why do I need to wear my Beauxbatons robes to Hogwarts?" I grumbled a little.
"I already told you, cub. Professor Dumbledore asked; it's to show the students the possibilities and that friendships can be made outside of Hogwarts."
I held the door open for my uncle as he pushed the trolley out. He looked worn, the full moon wasn't that long ago, and you could see it. I was happy for him, delighted even. But I was afraid of that the lycanthropy would stand in the way of his teachings. Remus had gotten the message from Dumbledore to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts this year, and since he just lost his job in Belgium after his employer died, he didn't have a choice. He didn't want to take it at first, as he didn't want to leave me, or wanted me to change schools. But I couldn't let him pass on this opportunity, certainly not after he took me in and uprooted his life. The fact that I needed to meet new people, didn't scare me. The fact that Hogwarts lesson plan was entirely different than Beauxbatons is what frightened me. Beauxbatons also didn't have houses you get sorted in. So, yeah things will be different, a lot. But I think I can manage. So, I told Remus to take the job and since we had to wrap up everything at home, and with the full moon, we couldn't come sooner and were now walking through the station on September 1st, 1993, as we would both take the train to Scotland. Dumbledore was surprised at the mention that Remus had a ward and asked to know more about me. But Remus was tight lipped, I was his responsibility and Dumbledore would just have to wait like everyone else.
"So, I'll be sorted alongside the first years?"
"I don't think so." Remus mused. "I think they'll sort them first and after bringing the up to date of the staff, they will place you." I nodded my head slowly, as my eyes followed the numbers on the walls. Remus frowned and looked worried at something. I turned to look at him as I felt him staring and raised a dark eyebrow. "Do you want to use Black or Dubois?"
"Actually." I said, my hand trailed over a stone wall. "I want to go by Lupin-Black." I smiled as I saw his astonished face. "Uncle Moony, we changed my name legally on my tenth birthday, why would I go by something else?" Remus opened his mouth to reply, but I cut him off. "I know Black isn't well received in Britain, but my mum wanted me to have his name. And you, uncle Moony, took me in, raised me since I was four, a kid you never knew about, I'm proud to be a Lupin." He had stopped me in the middle of my little speech, with his hand on my shoulder.
"I'm proud to have you as my daughter." Remus said with a trembling breath, both had tears in our eyes. We shared a tight hug before wiping our eyes. "Let's go find the train, yeah?"
"It should be there." I pointed out at the stone wall between numbers 9 and 10.
"Right you are, cub."
"You know, you can't call be that in school, right? At least not in public." I chuckled.
"I know. Shame." He pouted, but the corners of his mouth twitched. "Alright." He rubbed his hands as we stopped in front of the wall. "Just walk through it, Alec."
"Okay." I drawled out and inched closer to the brick wall. I let my hand hover over the wall before pushing it forward. And it went straight through. My eyes widened and looked over my shoulder to a smirking Remus. I glanced back to the wall and stepped through.
A large red steam train was standing in front of me, the platform with a little sign 9 3/5 hung just above me, was completely empty. I stepped aside to let Remus in and looked at the large clock on the wall. The train was leaving in an hour, and I was surprised to see the platform still empty. I turned back to see that Remus has come through the wall and was standing right behind me.
"I'm guessing the kids here don't come early."
"No." He laughed. "The platform will start to fill in about half an hour. But that's why I wanted to come early, to avoid curious eyes." I hummed in understanding as I covered my blue robes once again. "Let's find a compartment." I followed him to the first doors of the train and helped him load the trunks on it.
"Let's sit in the back." I pointed to my right. "Maybe it will be quieter there and you can sleep."
"I'm okay, cub."
"Uncle Moony." I gave him a stern look. "I think I know by now if you're okay or not. And you need to sleep." I put on my pleading eyes when he wanted to deny it. "For me?"
"Alright, I'll get some sleep on the way. But here-" He pulled a wrapper out of his coat. "Take some chocolate."
I shook my head with a smile and accepted it before we headed down the path to the last compartment of the train. I pulled the sliding door open and pushed our trunks up on the rack. I took the seat on the window so I could watch the platform while Remus sat across from me. I stood back up and pulled his pillow and a blanket out of his trunk.
"Don't you roll your eyes at me, Remus." I pursed my lips at him. My uncle gave up, because he knew when I used his first name, it meant I was serious and wouldn't be ignored. So, I placed the pillow against the window and once he laid his head on it, I covered him with the knitted blanket. Moony tried to fight off his sleep, as he didn't want to admit I was right, damn stubbornness, but he failed. Within minutes, he had drifted off to sleep.
I took my book out of my coat and placed it on my lap, not opening it quite yet. My eyes flickered to the platform as I started seeing kids and parents arrive. I took my wand from my boot and locked the door as it started to get crowded. It was fascinating to see really, how it all works here in Britain. I had seen pictures from Remus his time at Hogwarts and read about it in Hogwarts: A History. But still seeing the kids, all in their muggle clothes or wizarding robes was a sight. They would probably change in the train, which didn't seem convenient but hey, who was I to judge. I saw kids in all ages and sizes. Some towering over other kids, or even the parents while others looked like they were too young to go to school. But looks can be deceiving for sure, I was always on the small side. I only got my growth spurt when I turned fourteen. It literally happened overnight, and Remus and I needed to go shop for new clothes the next morning.
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I felt the train wobble as more and more students climbed onboard with their trunks and pets. I heard the kids talk and walk in the hallway, but no one seemed to get too close to our compartment. When the parents started to wave at the train, it moved with a jolt. I looked over to Uncle Moony, but he was still fast asleep.
I tucked my book in my pocket again and put on my oversized hooded coat. I peered outside the compartment, and when I saw it was nearly empty, I stepped out and closed the door softly behind me. I checked my coat again, to see that none of my blue robes showed and went out to explore.
After a few minutes of walking on the full train, I passed a girl with bushy brown hair, a boy with flaming red and one with raven black hair, look inside every compartment as they hauled their trunks on the train. I murmured an apology as I tried to walk past them, but they didn't even turn around. I looked over my shoulder to the trio as I walked further. That's when it hit me, when I recognized the boy with the raven black hair. I was so distracted by him; I didn't see a pair of kids in front of me and bumped straight into them. It looked like they didn't see me either as I harshly collided with two boys, sending the three of us to the ground. They must've been running or something, because the air was literally knocked out of me. I gathered myself for a second, trying to catch my breath as I readjusted my hood.
"Sorry!" Two voices chimed above me. I looked up at them, just over the rim of my black hood. The boys couldn't see my face, just the colour of my grey eyes as my hood was magically enhanced. They both held out a hand to me and I agreed to let them pull me up. The two boys, twins to be precise, looked at me curiously.
"And who -" Started the one on my left.
"Might you be?" The one on the right finished. They both leaned down to try and have a better look.
"Who wants to know?" I cocked my head, a sparkle in my eyes.
"Oh, a girl." Their eyes crinkled as a large grin appeared on their faces.
"Fred-" The one on the left bowed.
"And George." The other bowed.
"Weasley." They bowed together with a grin, not taking their eyes off me.
"Sorry for running into you." The one on the right said with a wink.
"That's quite alright, Fred and George. Just mind where you're... running." I said, a smile on my lips the boys couldn't see, and I walked between them.
"But... who are you?"
"What's your name?" They called after me.
"Bye, boys!" I waved with my back to them and a wide grin on my face. I felt the stares of the twin boys on my back and heard them whisper frantically behind me.
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Translation Dutch English
Klaar om te vertrekken? Ready to go?