Chapter 2 - Friends
After ten minutes of looking in every compartment on the train, Leona had finally found the three people she wanted to see the most after her encounter with Gwendolyn. As she entered the compartment she was greeted by a loud squeal from Helen Perkins, who had been sitting next to the window. She looked as bookish as Leona did, her straight chin-length black hair was pulled out of her face by a yellow plastic headband, it neatly complemented her brown eyes.
After Helen's squeal a blonde girl almost trampled Leona. With a hug the girl said, "Hey Leo," Amber Berker was always cheery and happy, and her blue eyes always shone with light and joy. Amber was extremely pretty, her mother had been a model, and fortunately for Amber, she had inherited her mother's beauty.
Almost silently a voice sweetly said, "Hello," The voice belonged to Janette Devy, she was not pretty in the same extreme sense as Amber. Janette had curly brown hair with green eyes and a perfect smile, one very much like Gwendolyn's smile.
"Hey guys," Leona said as she smiled happily hugging each of her friends.
Without a thought, Helen now sitting on Leona's left, smiled and asked, "How was your summer?"
"Terrific! I suppose that none of you have heard that Gregory was signed to be reserve chaser for the Caerphilly Catapults? That was has been our most recent excitement. I stayed with my uncle in France for three weeks we visited all the castles and spoke French, which was fun. I got to see the French Ministry of Magic headquarters and we shopped in their version of Diagon Alley. I don't remember the name, but I bought some more books."
"You and books," Amber said as she smiled brightly. Her smile widened as she saw Wood enter the compartment. Normally he would be siting with the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but he seemed to want to talk to Leona very much.
Leona continued, "After the trip to France, I did all my summer work and basically read the books I bought in France."
"So you went to France?" Wood asked smiling as he sat across from her. "That's cool! Speaking of summer work. I was wondering if you could…"
Leona finished his sentence, "read over your potions and defense against dark arts parchments?" she saw him nod. "I'll read over them tomorrow morning, in the common room, at ten?"
"Thank you, Leo," Oliver stood. As he left the compartment he smiled at Leona.
"Still have the largest crush on Quidditch boy?" Helen asked quietly.
"Like you had to ask," Leona said with a smile.
"What's in the box?" Janette asked, as she noticed what Leona was holding in her hands.
"Oh it's my start of term gift from my Mum and Dad," Leona had completely forgotten that her Mum had given her a box. She looked at the box, it was wrapped in brown paper and tied with brown ribbons. Leona untied the ribbons and removed the paper from the box. It wasn't large and she knew it was a jewelry box, it was black with gold writing on the top. The writing read, 'To Leona. Our darling daughter, we know you will do wondrous things.' Leona pulled off the top of the box, and inside on a cushion of cotton lay a silver locket in the shape of a heart, there were flowers in the front of the locket each petal fashioned from a small sapphire. Leona traced the tiny petals with her fingertip. She smiled, her parents had given her the most beautiful locket in the world! As she gently pulled the locket and necklace out of the box, she noticed the inscription on the back. It was the exact same as that inscribed on the box. A tear escaped onto her cheek, and Leona quickly wiped it off, not wanting to let her friends see her cry. She quickly undid the clasp and slid the necklace around her neck.
* * * * *
Houses, fields and the occasional town flashed past the windows on the shining red train as it sped along on it's way to Hogwarts. The conversation had turned from Leona's summer to all the other girls' summers. Helen had spent the her summer with her mother in Northern Ireland, and with a smile she told them of the amazing Muggle boy she had met, and how they had become pen pals at the end of the summer.
Amber had spent the summer in New York City with her mother. Her parents had divorced earlier that year, and her mother had started working for the American Ministry of Magic.
Janette didn't share as many details about her summer as the other girls, she simply looked up and said, "I stayed home all summer helping my mother with my little brother." She continued to tell them about her little brother's process of reading and writing, along with being able to ride a Muggle bicycle. As her friends talked about their summers, Leona realized that Janette had not told them about her summer, but instead she had told them about her brother's summer.
Leona glanced out the window and noticed that the fields had turned into the familiar thick forests that grew more common as the train drew nearer to Hogwarts. She smiled at Helen, Leona could remember her first time on the Hogwarts express. She had searched for an empty compartment and had found a shy young witch named Helen instead. Helen had been so nervous about her trip to Hogwarts she had developed hives on her arms, but by the end of the trip they were fast friends. Though the new friends were separated as soon as they arrived at Hogwarts, Leona was sorted into Gryffindor and Helen into Hufflepuff, they still remained friends. Leona's smile grew as she continued to think about her first year, and of developing close friendships with Oliver, Percy and Dylan. Later in the train ride their first year; three young wizards interrupted Leona and Helen's conversation. Leona smiled at the thought of Percy and his pet rat, Scabbers. Dylan had asked if Scabbers did any tricks, Percy had replied shyly, "He just stands on your hand," With a paused he continued, "Sometimes he stands on his hind legs if you dangle food in front of him!"
Helen noticed Leona's grin, "What are you grinning about?"
"Thinking about our first year and the train ride. Meeting you and the guys, and thinking about how scared I was that I would get detention, or that my brothers' reputations would hinder my chances of doing anything right," Leona replied still smiling.
Janette smiled and replied, "Still can't do charms."
"Hey last year, I finally caught up to every one! Although, I think that Professor Flitwick only allowed me to pass because he didn't want to see me another year!" Leona began giggling.
"Or he was tired of seeing you make things glow red," Amber said with a grin and began laughing along with Leona.
"Remember the Cheering Charm," Helen joined Leona and Amber laughing.
Janette also begun laughing as she added, "Professor Flitwick was glowing for days!"
* * * * *
It was dark as the train came to a stop at Hogsmeade station. All four girls stood up and made their way out of their compartment, most of the students had done the same thing. All of them quickly filled off the train in their school robes and black hats. Leona smiled as she got off the train knowing that she would enjoy the next nine months of school. She would study harder then she had before, wanting to actually stay with the class in charms this year. It was a personal goal she had decided on over the summer as she worked on her homework, she would excel at Charms or at least do better then she had been doing.
Amber grinned as she saw Dylan walk up to Leona. Dylan greeted Helen, Amber and Janette. Finally his smile fell on Leona, "So how about that carriage ride?"
"Of course," Leona answered as she smiled at her friends and walked next to Dylan along with nearly every other student. "So how was your train ride?"
"It was marvelous. I did not have to sit with any people I don't like. I sat with Gwendolyn Ackles, Tiffany Besley and Raymond Holt."
"Oh," Leona wanted to say something about Gwendolyn but she decided against it. After all Dylan was her friend and even though he associated with her enemy, it didn't make him just like her.
Dylan understood Leona's contempt for Gwendolyn. He looked ahead blankly and then at her, 'She is beautiful in the moonlight,' he thought to himself, 'I hate being part of Gwendolyn's plan, but if it means Wood would be off the market she'd have to turn to… me,' he continued to think as they climbed into the carriage. Leona sat next to him chatting to a sixth year Ravenclaw girl that sat across from them.
Before they knew it they were being herded into the Great Hall. The staff table was oddly full. It was rare for the head table to be filled with the faculty especially since this year September first managed to fall on a Friday, and the faculty wasn't expected to arrive at Hogwarts until the Sunday before classes would begin. And yet, there they all were, smiling and chatting amongst themselves. Leona had managed a spot between Amber and Oliver, and across from Percy. She smiled and talked excitedly with the group about their summers. Oliver continued to tell them all about the World Cup, Leona freely chatted about France again and Percy told them about the twins getting in trouble. At the mention of the twins the group began laughing.
They continued to idly chat with one another until the huge wooden doors that lend into the entrance hall opened, and Professor McGonagall entered. As she passed the Gryffindor table she gave them all a rare smile. Following her were the new first years. As the first years entered, Leona could clearly see the amazed looks on their faces as they looked up at the ceiling, which was enchanted to look like the night's sky.
The Sorting Ceremony had begun.