Chapter Two: The Hogwarts Express, and Meagan
"There, that's done," I said, clicking the lock to my trunk in a satisfied way. "Tunia, you can get off the lid now."
Petunia had been sitting on the lid of my trunk to hold it down while I closed it, it was so crammed full of stuff. There was little I could bear to leave behind. Especially my music.
Our father drove me down to the train station. Petunia didn't have time to go with us, but that was fine by me.
"So, what's the platform number?" Father asked after heaving my trunk out of the back.
I fished around in my pocket and grabbed my ticket. I pulled it out and stared at it incredulously.
"Well?"
"Platform 9 and ¾," I said.
"Platform 9 and ¾? Lily, I don't have time for games. I've got to leave in half an hour."
"No, really," I handed my ticket to him so he could verify it for himself.
Father looked at me extremely skeptically.
"Are you sure this whole thing isn't an elaborate joke someone is playing on you? Because if it is, it's too late to register you to the same school Petunia's going to."
"It can't be a joke. Remember buying all the books and supplies at Diagon Alley?" I reminded him. "No one can arrange all that, and I don't think anyone would be willing to spend that much money on something as silly as a joke anyway."
Father sighed and resignedly pushed the cart holding my luggage while I lead the way. We found Platform 9 and Platform 10, but no Platform 9 ¾.
It was very frustrating trying to find the platform and Father had to leave so I was left all alone. I leaned against the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10 to think.
But I felt nothing behind me. I fell to the ground and quickly picked myself up and saw that there was a great scarlet train behind a sign heralding that this was Platform 9 ¾.
I pushed my cart forward in wonder and encountered many people in robes or normal clothes walking about or just standing around talking. I found a steward and had him help me get my luggage on the train.
As I was making my way onto the train a boy came barreling out. He tried to stop when he saw me but another boy behind him ran into him and they both came tumbling down. I couldn't get out of the way fast enough and we all landed in a heap.
Both boys had dark hair, but one looked like a greasy slimeball and the other had better personal hygiene. The one that was the chasee was the slimeball with the sallow complexion and the chaser had thick eyebrows to go with his hair. The sharp features of his face cast many shadows and made him look gloomy.
"Are you all right?" asked the chaser, getting up and helping me up.
"I'm fine," I said, brushing off my skirt.
After he was sure I was okay he turned on the slimeball. He raised his wand and so did the slimeball. They circled around each other, as if they were swordsmen waiting for the perfect chance to take the offensive.
A crowd gathered and a prefect breezed through and broke it up. Before he could get to the fighting boys, though, the slimeball had hot pink highlights in his hair. The prefect plucked the wands out of both the boys' hands.
"I know you're eager to do magic, but it will have to wait until we get to Hogwarts, I'm afraid. As you are both first years and not assigned a House yet, I will excuse you both this one time. But this is a warning. The next time this happens I will not hesitate to deduct points or give you detention." With that he handed the wands back. "Be sure to control them now!"
The slimeball shot off, pulling his robes over his head to hide the pink highlights and the other boy began laughing.
"That'll teach you to try to steal from me again!" he guffawed as soon as the prefect left.
"What was that all about?" I asked.
"Severus just tried to steal again. He's a huge pain in the ah-behind if you ask me. Oh, by the way, I'm Sirius." He extended his hand.
"The Dog Star," I said, shaking his hand. "I'm Lily."
"Ah, a lovely name, m'dear," said Sirius, sweeping a mock bow. "Well, I must be going. Whenever you see the Dog Star, think of me."
"I will," I said cheerfully as he walked off.
Later on the train Sirius introduced me to James Potter and Remus Lupin, his two best friends. Remus had light brown hair a little long for its cut making him look a bit shaggy, and tired looking eyes, as if he'd stayed up all night reading a good book. He was a little pale so I guessed he probably did stay up all night reading a good book. James had a mess black hair that flopped onto his forehead in a haphazard way and behind glasses were eyes the color of stormy clouds roiling in a thunderstorm. I looked away quickly so I wouldn't be sucked into their enchanting spell.
"Ever had an every flavor bean?" Sirius asked, handing me an open box.
I reached in gingerly and took out a pink bean. I popped it into my mouth and immediately spat it out into James's face.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" I said, using a napkin to wipe up his face. "I didn't mean to do that."
James only smiled. "What flavor did you get?"
"Pepto Bismol, I think," I said. "It just tasted so nasty I didn't get much of a chance to analyze the flavor."
"That's funny," said Sirius. "Most of the pink ones I get tasted like guavas. Here, try this one," he handed me a blue bean. I ate it apprehensively and it tasted like watermelons so it was all right.
Remus taught me how to play wizard's chess while Sirius and James played Exploding Snap.
As the ride progressed, students ran through our compartment, stopping often to greet the other three boys. I felt shy, knowing no one, but mostly everyone was nice to me.
After Remus beat my royally at our chess game and Sirius and James's cards blew up, we chatted lightly, and then, Meagan came.
Meagan was a girl of great beauty, having beautiful blond hair that flowed in a straight sheet of blondeness down to her waist. A bright blue headband swept the hair off her face and accented her deep blue, haughty eyes. She had perfectly arched eyebrows and perfectly curved lips. I felt inadequate the minute she stepped in. I didn't exactly like my red hair all the time, even though it was very dark and a becoming shade of red- auburn, I liked to think. And I was very pale, not getting much sun, and skinny.
She stormed up to Sirius and grabbed him by the ear.
"Where were you yesterday?" she shrieked, giving him a little shake.
"Ow, get off me," Sirius whined, trying to release her grip on his ear, vainly.
"Where were you yesterday?" she repeated.
"I was at Flourish and Blotts," Sirius said. "Getting last minute supplies."
"You're so irresponsible!" the girl shouted. "You promised you'd meet me at Florean Fortescue's at two-thirty! I waited until four! Do you know how embarrassing that was? To sit there all alone, and have Fortescue himself come out and offer a consolation sundae?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Sirius said. "I took longer at Flourish and Blotts than I thought I would, then Mom dragged me home."
"And why did you need to get supplies at the last minute? Probably spending your summer masquerading as a quidditch star wannabe. A fine way to waste your summer!"
"His sister?" I asked quietly to Remus.
"No," Remus shook his head with a slight smile. "His girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" I was incredulous. "Exactly how old is he?" Sirius didn't seem older than I was-twelve at the most, I'd say.
"Eleven," Remus said. "How he and Meagan got together is rather a long story, even though it happened pretty recently."
Meagan continued to yell at Sirius before setting her baleful eyes on me. Her eyes strayed to the oboe case I had in my lap.
"You play?" she asked, nodding at the case.
"Yes," I said, nodding meekly. "And the piano."
"Really?" Sirius said, a strange smile on his face. "Jamsie here plays the piano too. Maybe you two could play duets?"
"Shut up," said James, turning a very bright shade of red and hitting Sirius on the shoulder.
"James doesn't like his piano playing mentioned," Remus explained to me.
Meagan looked down at James insolently.
"You should be proud of your skills. Goodness knows I've practiced my fingers off on my violin and I still can't play Hornpipe."
"Because Hornpipe was never meant to be played on a violin," said Sirius patiently. "Why d'you think it was called Hornpipe?"
"I can play Hornpipe," I said excitedly. Finally something I could do well! I didn't want the boys and Meagan to think I was totally useless. I unlatched my case and assembled my oboe.
I proceeded playing Hornpipe flawlessly.
At the end, I looked up and asked,
"That is the Hornpipe you guys were talking about, right?"
"The very one," said Sirius. "See Meagan, if Lily can play it on an oboe, by heart, you'd think you can play with music on a violin, eh?"
Meagan flushed to an awful shade of crimson.
"Sirius Black," she said through gritted teeth. "I, unfortunately, do not have a musical gift. I'd appreciate you not rubbing that fact in." Then she turned to me, and I gulped. "Lily, I assume? Well, Lily, I'd like you to know that I don't appreciate show-offs and braggarts."
"I didn't mean to offend you!" I cried, sincerely distressed. "I didn't mean to show-off!" Although if truth be told, I did show off, whether I meant to or not. "Truly, I didn't mean to hurt you!"
"Mean to or not, you did, and I expect an apology." Meagan tapped her toe and crossed her arms.
"Oh Meagan, lay off, will you?" said Sirius.
"Shut up!" she shrieked.
"Yeah, calm down," said James.
"Shut up! Shut up!"
"I'm sorry I offended you," I said politely.
"You don't mean it do you? Oh, I can tell by the tone of your voice. I want sincerity. Apologize again."
"I've apologized once, I don't see why I need to again."
"On your knees!" Meagan bellowed.
"As you wish, your majesty," I said icily. I took the opportunity to slip a bit of ABC Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, courtesy my mouth, onto the bottom of her shoe. She didn't notice, as she was distracted by a bee that I conveniently conjured up.
After I took my seat again, Meagan stormed out, fending off the bee, but fell as the gum pulled her back. She glared at me, and attempted to free her shoe off the gum. It didn't work, so she had to resort to taking off her shoe and pulling on it with all her might. Finally the gum gave way and she sailed across to the other end of the compartment. When she finally left, her face was so red it couldn't get any redder and it started turning purple.
"That," said James, "was brilliant."
"Thanks," I said, pleased.
"There, that's done," I said, clicking the lock to my trunk in a satisfied way. "Tunia, you can get off the lid now."
Petunia had been sitting on the lid of my trunk to hold it down while I closed it, it was so crammed full of stuff. There was little I could bear to leave behind. Especially my music.
Our father drove me down to the train station. Petunia didn't have time to go with us, but that was fine by me.
"So, what's the platform number?" Father asked after heaving my trunk out of the back.
I fished around in my pocket and grabbed my ticket. I pulled it out and stared at it incredulously.
"Well?"
"Platform 9 and ¾," I said.
"Platform 9 and ¾? Lily, I don't have time for games. I've got to leave in half an hour."
"No, really," I handed my ticket to him so he could verify it for himself.
Father looked at me extremely skeptically.
"Are you sure this whole thing isn't an elaborate joke someone is playing on you? Because if it is, it's too late to register you to the same school Petunia's going to."
"It can't be a joke. Remember buying all the books and supplies at Diagon Alley?" I reminded him. "No one can arrange all that, and I don't think anyone would be willing to spend that much money on something as silly as a joke anyway."
Father sighed and resignedly pushed the cart holding my luggage while I lead the way. We found Platform 9 and Platform 10, but no Platform 9 ¾.
It was very frustrating trying to find the platform and Father had to leave so I was left all alone. I leaned against the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10 to think.
But I felt nothing behind me. I fell to the ground and quickly picked myself up and saw that there was a great scarlet train behind a sign heralding that this was Platform 9 ¾.
I pushed my cart forward in wonder and encountered many people in robes or normal clothes walking about or just standing around talking. I found a steward and had him help me get my luggage on the train.
As I was making my way onto the train a boy came barreling out. He tried to stop when he saw me but another boy behind him ran into him and they both came tumbling down. I couldn't get out of the way fast enough and we all landed in a heap.
Both boys had dark hair, but one looked like a greasy slimeball and the other had better personal hygiene. The one that was the chasee was the slimeball with the sallow complexion and the chaser had thick eyebrows to go with his hair. The sharp features of his face cast many shadows and made him look gloomy.
"Are you all right?" asked the chaser, getting up and helping me up.
"I'm fine," I said, brushing off my skirt.
After he was sure I was okay he turned on the slimeball. He raised his wand and so did the slimeball. They circled around each other, as if they were swordsmen waiting for the perfect chance to take the offensive.
A crowd gathered and a prefect breezed through and broke it up. Before he could get to the fighting boys, though, the slimeball had hot pink highlights in his hair. The prefect plucked the wands out of both the boys' hands.
"I know you're eager to do magic, but it will have to wait until we get to Hogwarts, I'm afraid. As you are both first years and not assigned a House yet, I will excuse you both this one time. But this is a warning. The next time this happens I will not hesitate to deduct points or give you detention." With that he handed the wands back. "Be sure to control them now!"
The slimeball shot off, pulling his robes over his head to hide the pink highlights and the other boy began laughing.
"That'll teach you to try to steal from me again!" he guffawed as soon as the prefect left.
"What was that all about?" I asked.
"Severus just tried to steal again. He's a huge pain in the ah-behind if you ask me. Oh, by the way, I'm Sirius." He extended his hand.
"The Dog Star," I said, shaking his hand. "I'm Lily."
"Ah, a lovely name, m'dear," said Sirius, sweeping a mock bow. "Well, I must be going. Whenever you see the Dog Star, think of me."
"I will," I said cheerfully as he walked off.
Later on the train Sirius introduced me to James Potter and Remus Lupin, his two best friends. Remus had light brown hair a little long for its cut making him look a bit shaggy, and tired looking eyes, as if he'd stayed up all night reading a good book. He was a little pale so I guessed he probably did stay up all night reading a good book. James had a mess black hair that flopped onto his forehead in a haphazard way and behind glasses were eyes the color of stormy clouds roiling in a thunderstorm. I looked away quickly so I wouldn't be sucked into their enchanting spell.
"Ever had an every flavor bean?" Sirius asked, handing me an open box.
I reached in gingerly and took out a pink bean. I popped it into my mouth and immediately spat it out into James's face.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" I said, using a napkin to wipe up his face. "I didn't mean to do that."
James only smiled. "What flavor did you get?"
"Pepto Bismol, I think," I said. "It just tasted so nasty I didn't get much of a chance to analyze the flavor."
"That's funny," said Sirius. "Most of the pink ones I get tasted like guavas. Here, try this one," he handed me a blue bean. I ate it apprehensively and it tasted like watermelons so it was all right.
Remus taught me how to play wizard's chess while Sirius and James played Exploding Snap.
As the ride progressed, students ran through our compartment, stopping often to greet the other three boys. I felt shy, knowing no one, but mostly everyone was nice to me.
After Remus beat my royally at our chess game and Sirius and James's cards blew up, we chatted lightly, and then, Meagan came.
Meagan was a girl of great beauty, having beautiful blond hair that flowed in a straight sheet of blondeness down to her waist. A bright blue headband swept the hair off her face and accented her deep blue, haughty eyes. She had perfectly arched eyebrows and perfectly curved lips. I felt inadequate the minute she stepped in. I didn't exactly like my red hair all the time, even though it was very dark and a becoming shade of red- auburn, I liked to think. And I was very pale, not getting much sun, and skinny.
She stormed up to Sirius and grabbed him by the ear.
"Where were you yesterday?" she shrieked, giving him a little shake.
"Ow, get off me," Sirius whined, trying to release her grip on his ear, vainly.
"Where were you yesterday?" she repeated.
"I was at Flourish and Blotts," Sirius said. "Getting last minute supplies."
"You're so irresponsible!" the girl shouted. "You promised you'd meet me at Florean Fortescue's at two-thirty! I waited until four! Do you know how embarrassing that was? To sit there all alone, and have Fortescue himself come out and offer a consolation sundae?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Sirius said. "I took longer at Flourish and Blotts than I thought I would, then Mom dragged me home."
"And why did you need to get supplies at the last minute? Probably spending your summer masquerading as a quidditch star wannabe. A fine way to waste your summer!"
"His sister?" I asked quietly to Remus.
"No," Remus shook his head with a slight smile. "His girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" I was incredulous. "Exactly how old is he?" Sirius didn't seem older than I was-twelve at the most, I'd say.
"Eleven," Remus said. "How he and Meagan got together is rather a long story, even though it happened pretty recently."
Meagan continued to yell at Sirius before setting her baleful eyes on me. Her eyes strayed to the oboe case I had in my lap.
"You play?" she asked, nodding at the case.
"Yes," I said, nodding meekly. "And the piano."
"Really?" Sirius said, a strange smile on his face. "Jamsie here plays the piano too. Maybe you two could play duets?"
"Shut up," said James, turning a very bright shade of red and hitting Sirius on the shoulder.
"James doesn't like his piano playing mentioned," Remus explained to me.
Meagan looked down at James insolently.
"You should be proud of your skills. Goodness knows I've practiced my fingers off on my violin and I still can't play Hornpipe."
"Because Hornpipe was never meant to be played on a violin," said Sirius patiently. "Why d'you think it was called Hornpipe?"
"I can play Hornpipe," I said excitedly. Finally something I could do well! I didn't want the boys and Meagan to think I was totally useless. I unlatched my case and assembled my oboe.
I proceeded playing Hornpipe flawlessly.
At the end, I looked up and asked,
"That is the Hornpipe you guys were talking about, right?"
"The very one," said Sirius. "See Meagan, if Lily can play it on an oboe, by heart, you'd think you can play with music on a violin, eh?"
Meagan flushed to an awful shade of crimson.
"Sirius Black," she said through gritted teeth. "I, unfortunately, do not have a musical gift. I'd appreciate you not rubbing that fact in." Then she turned to me, and I gulped. "Lily, I assume? Well, Lily, I'd like you to know that I don't appreciate show-offs and braggarts."
"I didn't mean to offend you!" I cried, sincerely distressed. "I didn't mean to show-off!" Although if truth be told, I did show off, whether I meant to or not. "Truly, I didn't mean to hurt you!"
"Mean to or not, you did, and I expect an apology." Meagan tapped her toe and crossed her arms.
"Oh Meagan, lay off, will you?" said Sirius.
"Shut up!" she shrieked.
"Yeah, calm down," said James.
"Shut up! Shut up!"
"I'm sorry I offended you," I said politely.
"You don't mean it do you? Oh, I can tell by the tone of your voice. I want sincerity. Apologize again."
"I've apologized once, I don't see why I need to again."
"On your knees!" Meagan bellowed.
"As you wish, your majesty," I said icily. I took the opportunity to slip a bit of ABC Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, courtesy my mouth, onto the bottom of her shoe. She didn't notice, as she was distracted by a bee that I conveniently conjured up.
After I took my seat again, Meagan stormed out, fending off the bee, but fell as the gum pulled her back. She glared at me, and attempted to free her shoe off the gum. It didn't work, so she had to resort to taking off her shoe and pulling on it with all her might. Finally the gum gave way and she sailed across to the other end of the compartment. When she finally left, her face was so red it couldn't get any redder and it started turning purple.
"That," said James, "was brilliant."
"Thanks," I said, pleased.