Chapter Four

"Miss Hannah, wake up. It's time to leave. Your breakfast is on the side table by your desk."

Sally shook Hannah awake. Hannah opened her eyes, hesitated as if thinking, then sprang up.

"I thought today would never come!" she shouted and ran to the table, grabbed a piece of toast and marmalade and hastened to get clothes on.

"Your mum has business elsewhere today so Sally is going to take you."

"She does?" Hannah stopped suddenly. "I mean no offense to you, Sally, but I really wanted Mum to take me to London."

" I know, dear. Come hurry, our train leaves at 8: 30."

In twenty minutes, Hannah was by the front door with a purse in one hand and sunglasses in the other. Sally looked at her blankly.

"I thought we'd go in style." Hannah grinned.

"No, dear, where we're going you won't need these muggle things."

"What's muggle?"

"Non-magic folk."

"Oh…okay."

Hannah dropped her things and raced out to the taxi. The long drive to London seemed to drag out immensely for Hannah, but she talked throughout the whole way.

They reached London by lunchtime and hurried out of the station and down a cobbled street. They stopped in front of an old building labeled "The Leaky Cauldron."

"This is where we're shopping?" Hannah asked in disbelief.

"Well, not really. Come on." Sally led her through the bar and dusty tables to the back door. Hannah was very confused by now. Sally took out a wand and touched a brick on the back wall behind the building. The bricks pulled apart revealing a cobbled street and a sign that said, "Welcome to Diagon Alley."

"Wow, that was incredible! Let's do it again!" Hannah pulled on Sally's hand.

"No, we are very busy today. Maybe another day."

"So are you a witch too Sally?"

"Yes dear."

"What's first on our list?"

"First of all, we need to get you school robes at Madame Malkin's."

They entered a shop to their right that was bustling with students. They waited in line to be measured. Madame Malkin was a short happy-looking lady who had a magic tape measure that measured by itself. Hannah was placed next to a boy with silver blond hair and sharp grey eyes.

"Hello. Are you going to Hogwarts?"

"Um, yeah." he sounded like this was obvious.

"My name is Hannah. Hannah Rosenfeld."

"Draco Malfoy."

"That's a funny name."

"Oh, you think so little girl? And how old are you, five, six?"

Hannah's eyes darkened as her arm was pulled up through a sleeve of her robe.

"For your information, I'm eleven and I'm going to Hogwarts this year."

"For someone so short, you outta to be grateful."

"What on earth do you mean?"

"I mean that there are really scary things at Hogwarts. Big monsters and ghosts and moving staircases and moving pictures and—

"I'm not afraid of them, Mr.—what did you say your name was?"

The boy turned away. Hannah was yanked off the stand and robes were thrown in her arms. She heard Sally calling. Hannah turned back to the boy and yelled,

"And I'm not afraid of you either!"

The room silenced. Hannah looked around uncomfortably.

"Well I'm not," she said timidly.

"Come on, Hannah." Sally pulled her out of the shop and took her aside.

"Anymore of this behavior and you won't go to that school at all, you hear me?"

"Of course Sally. I was just defending myself."

Sally stifled a giggle and walked on. The afternoon went fast and soon they were walking out of the pub from having supper, carrying all kinds of funny- shaped packages.

They got home late and Hannah was sleeping in Sally's arms.

************************************

"Go on, just march through the wall."

"It looks so solid."

"It's not, believe me, it's not. Just run through it. I'll be right behind you."

Hannah was standing in the front of the barrier between platforms nine and ten at King's Cross Station with her mother.

"Come on, you have ten minutes before the train leaves."

"Okay, okay, I'm going."

Hannah gripped her trolley and began pushing it forwards towards the wall. She closed her eyes, she knew that wall was just going to hit and then she'd go flying. But nothing happened. She kept running. Her mother appeared seconds later by her side.

"See there it is. Hogwarts Express. You did it. Now was it that hard?"

"No. Come on, I want to get on the train."

The station was long and students were crowding all along it. Hannah could barely move.

"Bye, Mum. I'll send you lots of owls!"

"Good bye dear one! Have a fun time!" her mother embraced her warmly and kissed her forehead. Hannah gave Mrs. Rosenfeld a smile and walked towards the train, heaving her trunks up the stairs. Hannah pushed her way through to an empty compartment and threw herself on the plushy seats. She waved to her mother outside the window, who waved back rather sadly. Hannah sighed and began to daydream about what Hogwarts castle would look like and didn't even notice the train beginning to move.

A few minutes later, the compartment door opened to a girl with bushy brown hair and big front teeth.

"Excuse me, are these seats taken? Everywhere else is full."

"Oh no, please sit." Hannah pushed her stuff over. The girl had a rather bossy tone of voice.

"I'm Hannah Rosenfeld. Who are you?"

"Hermione Granger. Pleased to meet you."

Hannah held out a hand and Hermione shook it stiffly. Hannah leaned back, unsure about this girl.

"So, um, excited about Hogwarts? I am. I hope I'm in Gryffindor. It sounds by far the best house. What house do you want to be in?"

"Um, oh, the same house." Hannah shifted her weight, wondering what on earth Gryffindor was.

"I've practicing some simple spells at home and this type of magic is fascinating." Hermione continued. "And I've studied the textbooks from cover to cover, of course."

Hannah raised an eyebrow. She wasn't sure she liked this girl that much. She decided on a creative approach to see how far this girl's brain could go.

"I was sad to leave the Tomorrow Road and the Today Road and the Yesterday Road. They are so lovely and I'm sure there won't be any like them at Hogwarts."

"Hmm?" the girl looked at her, "What did you say?"

"Oh, nothing." Hannah looked away annoyed. "Just talking about Hogwarts. I know all about it and I've read books about it from cover to cover."

She glanced at Hermione out of the corner of her eye. She hadn't read anything at all about Hogwarts, but she was trying to get this snotty girl back.

"Are you mocking me?"

"What would you say I said yes?"

"I'd…I'd leave!"

"Oh. Well, then, yes!" Hannah cocked her head to one side. Hermione's mouth dropped. Leaving her stuff, Hermione left. Hannah sighed, rolling her eyes.

"In Tomorrow, there won't be snotty girls like Hermione around."

For the next hour, she amused herself with thinking up little poems for the flowers on the Today Road. The door opened again and this time Hermione was accompanied by a mouse-haired boy who seemed upset.

"Hannah, isn't it?" Hermione asked.

"Who wants to know?" Hannah turned to face them.

"Neville here is looking for a toad, has it come in here?"

"Not that I've noticed, but like I said, I've been practicing some simple spells so I can butter up to the teachers in class."

Hermione turned away, slamming the door behind her. Hannah gave a quiet evil laugh.

"My adventure has been begun," she said.