Chapter 7 – The Express
It had seemed crazy to Lydia to travel down to London to catch a train which was then going to spend most of the day going back north again. Her uncle had explained that the journey to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express was part of the start of the school year. She had not asked him how he knew because she never wanted to hear him say, "Minerva…" again. Instead she had made the mistake of asking why she could not join the train further north. He had smugly pointed out that the very nature of an express train was that it did not indulge in stopping at every station. So she gave up and took the train with him down to London and then the tube to King's Cross.
She had packed everything she owned into her Travelighter trunk, barring a few items but including an indignant Xander cat. She had already installed a sofa, a litter tray, a scratching post, a paw-operated drinking water fountain and an assortment of foods and treats he had previously approved. She had explained to him how much more comfortable he would be than in a cat carrier in the train's luggage rack. Xander had complied without hesitation but had retained his indignation.
At King's Cross, as they approached the barrier which was the entrance to Platform 9¾, she had stopped to lift Xander out of the trunk so that she could carry him in her arms. She gave her trunk to her uncle to carry. Even though it had so much in it she could have filled a house with the contents she could still have lifted the trunk with one hand. But Xander filled her loving arms, so Ambrose had to take the trunk. They passed through the barrier.
As they arrived on Platform 9¾, the hissing steam train to their right, Lydia heard her name called above the excited hubbub of the other families. Peering through the throng, she caught a glimpse of red hair.
"Ah!" her uncle remarked. He took her hand, "This way, Lydia."
They wove between the family groups greeting old friends and came upon a friend of their own.
"Hi Lydia, Ambrose," said Ginny Potter.
She was beaming at them, tall, athletic and fresh as ever. By her side was a boy. He looked a little older than Lydia but, more importantly, had purple hair and green eyebrows.
"Lydia and Ambrose Ward, this is Teddy Lupin. He starts today, as well," Ginny said by way of an introduction.
"Hi!" the boy squeaked. "I mean, hi," he repeated in as low a voice as he could muster. "Sorry. Don't know why my voice went all weird. I'm Harry's godson."
"Hi, Teddy," Lydia grinned. "Harry has told us about you. I love the hair – wish I could do that. This is my cat, Xander. He's my familiar."
Teddy pulled a face. His hair stood on end, a full twenty centimetres long and now light blue. His chin stretched down towards his chest and sprouted a deep orange beard. Lydia giggled. Xander squirmed in her arms a little then looked away.
Ginny gave a mock scowl. "All right, Teddy. Stop showing off."
"Be very careful," Ambrose warned. "I attempted that once and became permanently settled in this guise!" He indicated his part-shaven head and long plaited beard.
Lydia groaned. "Sorry, Teddy. He can't help it – any of it. Bad jokes, being annoying, any of it."
"Ah, now," Ambrose put in. "It would appear the guards are urging the students to board. Please set aside all frivolity for the next few months and concentrate hard on your studies. We expect great things of you both. Take your work very seriously. We, on the other hand, will celebrate your departure with party games, salsa dancing and, if I am very lucky, a feast of Ginny's freshly baked cheese scones."
Ginny laughed and shook her head. "Roughly translated: have fun, do your best, and we will miss you. Don't forget to send us owls, when you get the chance."
She turned to Ambrose. "I'm not sure about party games but I do have a fresh batch of scones. And I can't wait to see your salsa dancing."
"Ginny, don't encourage him!" Lydia warned. "Come on, Teddy, before he gets any more embarrassing."
Ginny levitated their trunks up onto the train and the two new students stepped up, too. Ginny nodded to the nearest compartment, which was currently still empty. Lydia still carried Xander in her arms, while Teddy took their trunks. They disappeared from sight for a few seconds as they struggled round into the compartment. Teddy, his hair bushy and blond now, lifted the trunks into the luggage rack, delighted to find how light Lydia's was. They sat by the window, Lydia facing towards the engine and Teddy opposite her. Xander's head appeared at the window for a few seconds but, finding nothing to hold his interest, it soon disappeared. Ginny indicated to Teddy to open the window at the top so that she could speak to them. As he did so, two more students joined them and Ginny lost their attention.
She sighed. "Do you think they'll be friends, Ambrose?"
Ambrose smiled and held her hand. "Teddy seems a friendly and likeable chap, so I doubt Lydia will give him any other option than to be her friend. Teddy's metamorphic abilities make him unusual and he appears to have taken the path of the jester. He flaunts and celebrates his abilities to amuse others. That defuses any would-be bullies. He is setting out to be liked. I am sure he will accept Lydia's friendship.
"For her part, Lydia is somewhat set adrift, moving into the wizarding community. Teddy is something of a ready-made ally, as part of the extended Potter family, with whom she is already acquainted. She will appreciate his friendship, and she does have a marked tendency to be loyal to her friends. They will be safe and happy and will do well."
Ginny smiled and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Ambrose. I'm not a big worrier usually, but Teddy is important to Harry, for obvious reasons."
"I imagine so," Ambrose nodded, his beard wagging as he did so. "Guilt is something Harry and I bear in common. Now I believe the train should get about its business so that I may pursue other interests, particularly those of a scone-ish nature."
Ginny laughed. "Has anyone ever pointed out that you're incorrigible, Ambrose?"
He thought for a moment or two. "Now you come to mention it, I do believe that is something I hear on a daily basis."
The guards blew their whistles and doors were slammed shut. Ginny, Ambrose and everyone else on the platform waved to the occupants of the carriages. The engine hissed and puffed. There was a clanking amongst the carriages as the strain was taken up on the couplings which held them to each other. Gradually the train began to move off, building up speed.
Ginny turned once again to Ambrose. "Come on, then. There are scones waiting for you."
"Should I skip?" Ambrose asked. "It seems like that kind of occasion, burdens relieved and scones forthcoming, as it were."
Ginny laughed again. "Probably best not to. But thank you. Thank you for setting my mind at ease and cheering me up."
"Young Teddy is not the only one to tread the path of the jester."
Teddy slid open the compartment door and nodded to Lydia and Xander to go in. He followed them, bringing in their trunks from the corridor. His hair was blond now and his beard had disappeared.
"I'll put your trunk up here for you," he said, swinging his own trunk up into the overhead rack.
Lydia smiled and sat by the window with Xander in her lap. She waved to Ginny and her uncle.
"Wow! Did you forget to pack?" Teddy exclaimed as he swung her trunk up and hit the roof of the compartment.
Lydia laughed. "It's a Travelighter Trunk. Draco, Professor Malfoy, bought it for me."
"I know Draco," he told her as he sat down opposite her. "And Ron and Hermione, McGonagall, Hagrid, Neville and Hannah, and lots of Harry's friends. And Tempest Savage, the auror."
He looked out of the window and waved to Ginny and Ambrose.
"Yeah, I've met Tem," Lydia told him.
"What a brilliant name!" Teddy enthused. "I wish I had a name like that. So cool. Teddy Lupin, that's just a toy bear and a flower."
"Well 'Lydia Ward' sounds like a room in a hospital." Lydia commiserated. "Where are all the people with sore bottoms? Oh, they're in the Lydia Ward."
Teddy hooted with laughter.
"Anyway," Lydia continued. "You're cool 'cos you can do all the metamorphmagus things. I'm just little and don't know what I'm doing."
"What?! Harry said you and your uncle had done loads of amazing stuff that he's not even allowed to talk about."
"That's no good, though," she explained. "I can't tell anyone about it."
At that moment Teddy noticed that Ginny was signalling to him to open the top window. As he stood up and did so he heard the compartment door slide open behind him.
"Hi," said the boy, the younger of the two new arrivals. "Is there room for us?"
"Yeah," Teddy grinned.
"Of course!" Lydia smiled.
Xander lifted his head for a moment and gave his tacit consent by immediately lying down and curling up.
The boy was slim, blond and had a sweet smile Lydia thought.
"I'm Freddie Fortescue," the boy introduced himself. "This is my first trip to Hogwarts. This is my cousin, Fenella. She's a fourth-year Gryffindor."
Fenella, who had straight dark hair and looked athletic, swung her trunk up into the rack and sat down next to Lydia. She was frowning as she looked closely at the little blonde girl.
"I know you," she said, breaking into a smile as recognition dawned on her. "You were at Hogwarts last term. Lydia, isn't it? You joined us in CoMaC, Care of Magical Creatures, with the unicorn foals?"
"Ooh, that's right!" Lydia confirmed. "I'm Lydia Ward. Aren't you in the Gryffindor Quidditch Team?"
They stopped talking for a few moments as the train started to move. They moved to the window to wave to the people who had come to see them off. Xander lay in the crook of Lydia's left arm and bore the disturbance stolidly.
Fenella resumed the conversation as they all sat back down. "I was on last year's team, but I'm not sure about this year. I'm a beater. That's what I'm best at but there are some good players coming up."
"The beater's the one with the… big stick? Is that right?" Lydia asked.
Freddie laughed and the girls looked at him. Then they stared at both of the boys.
"Merlin's butt cheeks!" Fenella exclaimed. "You two could be twins."
Sure enough, Teddy's hair was currently the same shade as Freddie's and they were the same size and physique with similar faces. Lydia thought Teddy was more 'handsome' and Freddie was perhaps 'pretty', but the similarity was shocking and, in a way, mesmerising.
The boys looked at each other. Freddie grinned and Teddy turned his hair purple.
"Can you tell us apart now?" Teddy asked.
Freddie clapped his hands. "Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod! That is so cool! You're a… meta… something."
"Metamorphmagus," Teddy looked proud to admit it.
Fenella sat forward. "Wow! That is the coolest. All the girls are going to love you, Teddy."
Teddy blushed and looked to Lydia.
"See? I said you were cool," she reminded him. Xander raised his head to look, then laid it down again.
Freddie bounced up and down on the seat. "Lucky you, Fenny. You're in the carriage with the three coolest first-years!"
There was a knock on the door and someone slid it open.
"Hi, Lydia. Hi, Fen."
Tessa Gudgeon came in and sat down next to Freddie, who stopped bouncing and smiled at the older girl.
"I can't stay long," she said, directing her comments at Lydia. "Seeing as I'm now, tada! Head Girl!"
"Oh, wow! Well done," Lydia congratulated her.
"Anyway, I heard you were here," Tessa continued. "So exciting to be coming to Hogwarts, eh? We'll have a chat later, when we get there. Maybe at the feast tonight. OK?"
"Yeah, I'd love that," Lydia agreed. "And congratulations, Head Girl. Erm, Eric isn't Head Boy, is he?"
Tessa laughed out loud. "No, thankfully. Tom Torpington's Head Boy. He's really cute – for a good boy."
Lydia grinned.
"Must go," Tessa said, rising from her seat. "Criminals to catch and everything. Oh, what a beautiful cat. Who are the boys? Introduce us, Lydia."
"This is Teddy, and this is Freddie, and this is Xander Cat," Lydia told her. "Boys, this is my friend, and Head Girl, Tessa Gudgeon."
"Twins?" asked Tessa.
Lydia noticed Teddy's hair had turned blond again.
"No. Teddy Lupin and Freddie…" Lydia started to say.
"Lupin?" Tessa interrupted. "You were in the Daily Prophet a while back, weren't you? Son of Remus and Tonks? By the way Rita Skeeter is a hideous old bag – take no notice of her. Gosh, Lydia, you know all the coolest people. Anyway, got to go. Bye."
"Bye," they chorused.
"Lucky girl," Fenella murmured.
The others looked at her.
"Tommy Torpington's gorgeous," she explained. "What does she mean, 'cute for a good boy'?"
"She likes bad boys," Lydia said simply.
"Takes all kinds, I suppose," Fenella supposed. "She can hand him over to me any time she likes."
"Lalala," said Freddie, putting his fingers in his ears. "Way too much information, Fenny!"
Lydia looked at Teddy, who was sitting quietly.
"Why were you in the papers, Teddy?" she asked.
Fenella made an embarrassed cough. Freddie sat back and stopped smiling.
"Sorry," Lydia back-pedalled. "I just…"
"It's all right," Teddy said. "Has Harry told you about my parents?"
"Yes, he said… Oh, your dad. He was a…"
"A werewolf, yes," Teddy nodded. "The Daily Prophet article said I must be a werewolf, too. It even called me 'The Cub'."
"Your parents were heroes," Fenella reminded him.
"They were in the Order of the Phoenix and fought at the Battle of Hogwarts and were friends of Harry Potter and everything," Freddie added. "Anyway, it's really cool you might have been a werewolf and really great that everyone knows you're not."
Teddy smiled at him. "Thanks, Freddie. But even though the Prophet took it all back, and there were quotes from Harry and from St. Mungo's Hospital, there'll still be people who believe it."
"Well…," Lydia offered. "Tell them you'll bite some of them and I'll bite some of them and they can see if there's any difference."
Teddy had to laugh. "It's not going to work, but thanks for offering."
"Cool AND weird," Freddie enthused. "This is deffo the best room on the Hogwarts Express. Ohmygod, we're going to Hogwarts at last!"
Fenella looked at him with a smug smile. "Some of us have been before, haven't we, Lydia?"
"Well, some of us haven't," Freddie explained. "And one of us has but is still excited, aren't you, Lydia?"
"I am," she admitted. "I really am, but nervous, too."
Freddie grinned. "Yeah, but you've got a wand now. We all have and we're going to do proper magic and it's going to be amazing! Come on, let's see your shiny new wands. Mine's alder with unicorn hair."
"Mine's alder, too," Teddy beamed. "Dragon heartstring core, though. Lydia?"
Lydia took her wand out and looked at it. "Olive wood with a demiguise and thestral hair core."
"Ooh, that's unusual," Fenella cooed.
"Old Mr Ollivander… doesn't make a lot with olive wood."
"Yeah," Freddie pronounced. "Coolest wand on the train. Knew it."
"You said," Lydia mused, "you two are Fortescues. Any relation to the ice cream parlour?"
"Not actually related to an ice cream parlour 'cos I'm a person, but Florean Fortescue was our uncle. My dad, Ferdinand, runs the parlour now. Florean was his brother and Francisco, Fenny's dad, is his other brother."
"Oh, I've met your dad, then," Lydia smiled. "He's nice."
"Lydia, every Hogwarts student has been to Diagon Alley, so I bet they've all met Mr Fortescue," Teddy pointed out with a grin.
"Well, Harry was friends with Florean Fortescue so Ferdinand came and sat and talked with us."
They sat in silence for a while.
"I guess you're the only one of us who didn't lose someone close in the war," Teddy said to Lydia.
Lydia fidgeted for a few moments. There was something hot and uncomfortable in her stomach. Xander moved slightly, probably sensing the change of mood.
"I'm not sure," she said in little more than a whisper. "My dad went missing about that time. They didn't know I was listening but I heard Harry and Ron talking about how lots of muggles got killed in the war as well. They thought my dad might have been one."
"You're muggle-born, then?" Freddie asked.
Lydia nodded.
Fenella touched Lydia's hand and spoke softly. "If he only went missing there's still hope."
"And now you've come into your powers, you're part of the wizarding world and you might be able to find out… something," Freddie said kindly.
Lydia blinked a few times. "Thanks. I hope one day… you know."
Freddie sat up straight. "Right, so… we're all tragic and incredibly cool and we're going to rule Hogwarts. I think Fenny should tell us all about it before we get there!"
They spent much of the remaining journey talking about Hogwarts. They were surprised how much Lydia already knew. It was more than they had expected from her having visited for a couple of days back in May. She admitted she had spent a lot of time talking to Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione. Of course, she said nothing about the circumstances in which she had come to know them. She, in turn, was surprised to find how little Freddie knew of Hogwarts, coming from a pure-blood family. Fenella tried to fill in the many gaps but kept coming back to Quidditch. Lydia could tell it was preying on her mind that she might lose her place on the Gryffindor team. Teddy, it turned out, was not only interested in Quidditch but also proficient on the broom. He had been tutored by, and had flown with, Harry, Ron and Ginny at one time or another. Freddie had watched Quidditch matches but was not excessively interested in 'sporty stuff'.
They were interrupted by the tuck trolley and bought an excess of cakes, tarts and sweets. After eating them all, and feeding Xander with some food Lydia had brought, they sat in sated silence for a while before returning to their chatter. Outside the window England slipped by unnoticed, followed by the lowlands of Scotland. The foothills turned into the mountains of the Scottish Highlands. Fenella pointed out that they needed to get into their school robes before they arrived at Hogsmeade station. She was not to be drawn on what would happen to the first-years once they reached Hogsmeade.
They changed into their robes, girls first while the boys stood in the corridor, then the other way around. They chatted to one or two other students in the corridor while they waited. They settled in their seats again and found more to chatter about. Moments later the Express began to slow down on its approach to Hogsmeade. Lydia felt excited but Freddie was bouncing on the sprung bench seat, again.
8