Chapter 6: Draco Malfoy
The first half of the train trip was rather uneventful. Dilandra flicked through her school textbooks which she found quite interesting. Then a lady came and knocked ever so politely on her compartment door, pushing a trolley where Dilandra purchased some of the most bizarre foods - chocolate frogs, liquorice wands and all sorts of other curious items she had never seen at Coles or Woolworths. Not feeling very hungry, she got herself some cauldron cakes and treats for Nephthys before she began to explore the train. Dilandra soon figured that the train was rather long, and most of the compartments were rather full. A popular game amongst the students was a wizard-version of Snap; as she watched curiously, the cards seem to blow themselves up whenever they wished. How annoying it must be, Dilandra thought, to have to restart it over and over again . She then passed the compartment of the person she least wanted to see - Harry. According to some of the small talk (she had overheard) from some other students, Harry's last name was 'Potter'. Harry Potter had apparently defeated a Yunohoo (Whoever that is, it's a rather strange name Dilandra thought) and was now world-famous in the wizarding world. He also happened to have scar in the shape of a lightning bolt and his best friends were Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Dilandra glanced through Harry Potter's compartment window - the trio were closely knot together, their heads bent low and it seemed like they were very seriously discussing something of an important matter. Dilandra was just about to leave when Harry caught her eye. Feeling her cheeks flush, Dilandra turned her heel and walked away but he was too quick for her and had reached Dilandra after she had only taken two steps. 'Look,' Harry said, 'I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to smash your cauldron.' 'Apology accepted, Harry Potter,' Dilandra said coolly, not meaning anything she said at all. 'How -?' 'Some other students told me.' 'Oh. What year are - ' 'Well, well . if it isn't the famous Potter.' Turning around, Dilandra saw a boy about her age, too. He had white-blonde hair and was wearing a rather large smirk on his face. 'Draco.' Harry nodded coolly. Draco caught Dilandra's eye, and, judging by her expression, thought exactly what she was thinking - Potter was rather annoying. Just then, Harry's friends appeared, and two other boys stood behind Draco. 'Come on, Harry . Let's go.' Hermione said, tugging on his robes. The three left. Dilandra turned to Draco. 'Hi,' she said rather shyly, 'Dilandra Bryden.' 'Draco Malfoy. This is Crabbe and Goyle.' He said, nodding at his friends. 'Oh. Are you all fifth years?' 'Yep.' 'Oh. then you must know a lot a-about magic.' She said even more shyly. 'Enough to get us through.' 'Okay. Umm. well . nice meeting you Draco. and Crabbe and Goyle. Bye.' Dilandra smiled shyly at Draco and began to walk down the corridor back towards her compartment. But, to her pleasure there was a - 'Hey!' Dilandra turned. 'Do you want a game of Exploding Snap?' Dilandra beamed. 'I'd love to.' She walked back to Draco, not noticing Harry staring at her retreating back, a concerned and uncertain look on his face. And it wasn't long before she had fallen into step with her new friend.
*****
'Ha! Got you! You have to pick up, now!' Dilandra couldn't remember the last time she had had so much fun. Draco was laughing so hard, his eyes were watering. Even Crabbe and Goyle grunted with amusement. Suddenly, there was a loud BANG! and the whole pile blew up, singing some material from the seats. This was too much for Dilandra. She hugged her stomach and was choking from laughter. Draco joined in, and if it was possible, began laughing harder than before, banging his fists against the seat. When they had all recovered and had quietened down, the four of them began questioning each other about their family and friends - but mostly about Hogwarts. 'S-so you're saying that Hogwarts is a giant castle with a Headmaster called Dumbledore?' 'Yep.' 'Wow. That's so cool. What were the houses again? I remember Slytherin - that's the one you're in uhh- Ravenclaw, was it? A-and .' 'Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.' Draco said, slowly. 'Yea, that's it. So what's the food like?' 'Pretty good. They have house-elves working in the kitchens, there's about a thousand, I believe.' Dilandra bit into a chocolate frog. 'How old are you?' Draco said, quite suddenly. 'M-me?' Dilandra said, a bit surprised, '15. Turned 15 in July.' 'H-how come you don't know anything about-?' Draco whitened slightly. 'What?' Dilandra asked, now getting a little shocked. 'You mean you didn't come to Hogwarts when you were 11?' 'No,' she replied blankly, then her expression cleared, 'Oh, I know what you're getting at. I didn't get my Hogwarts letter until this year. Before that, I didn't even know that Hogwarts or magic even existed!' she said simply, scrunching up her chocolate frog wrapper. Draco whitened even more. 'That means y-you're a Muggle!' he gasped, his eyes wide. 'A Muggle? What's a Muggle? If its bad, I certainly don't want to be one, thank you very much.' She said quite firmly. Crabbe and Goyle were quietly cowering in the corner and were beadily watching Draco stride restlessly back and forth in the compartment. He finally stopped and turned to Dilandra. 'What year are you going to be put in?' 'Probably the same as you - fifth year.' There was a rather awkward pause. 'If my father -' Draco finally muttered. 'What about your father?' Dilandra snapped. ' - ever, ever found out that I became friends with someone like you .' 'Excuse me? What about someone like me?' 'Just forget it.' And with that, Draco swept out of the compartment. Crabbe and Goyle stood for a second or two before they followed him out of the door, avoiding Dilandra's eyes. She was now utterly alone. Her eyes rather moist, Dilandra slowly walked back to her own compartment. Nephthys was nibbling on a cauldron cake. Seeing Dilandra quite upset, she fluttered onto her owner's shoulder and hooted softly, as though reassuring Dilandra that everything will be okay. 'Nephthys. I don't know where I belong. Maybe it's just you and me . facing this large world full of things I never dreamed of.' And with that she sobbed quietly to herself for the rest of the train journey.
She didn't notice Harry watching her through the compartment window.
The first half of the train trip was rather uneventful. Dilandra flicked through her school textbooks which she found quite interesting. Then a lady came and knocked ever so politely on her compartment door, pushing a trolley where Dilandra purchased some of the most bizarre foods - chocolate frogs, liquorice wands and all sorts of other curious items she had never seen at Coles or Woolworths. Not feeling very hungry, she got herself some cauldron cakes and treats for Nephthys before she began to explore the train. Dilandra soon figured that the train was rather long, and most of the compartments were rather full. A popular game amongst the students was a wizard-version of Snap; as she watched curiously, the cards seem to blow themselves up whenever they wished. How annoying it must be, Dilandra thought, to have to restart it over and over again . She then passed the compartment of the person she least wanted to see - Harry. According to some of the small talk (she had overheard) from some other students, Harry's last name was 'Potter'. Harry Potter had apparently defeated a Yunohoo (Whoever that is, it's a rather strange name Dilandra thought) and was now world-famous in the wizarding world. He also happened to have scar in the shape of a lightning bolt and his best friends were Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Dilandra glanced through Harry Potter's compartment window - the trio were closely knot together, their heads bent low and it seemed like they were very seriously discussing something of an important matter. Dilandra was just about to leave when Harry caught her eye. Feeling her cheeks flush, Dilandra turned her heel and walked away but he was too quick for her and had reached Dilandra after she had only taken two steps. 'Look,' Harry said, 'I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to smash your cauldron.' 'Apology accepted, Harry Potter,' Dilandra said coolly, not meaning anything she said at all. 'How -?' 'Some other students told me.' 'Oh. What year are - ' 'Well, well . if it isn't the famous Potter.' Turning around, Dilandra saw a boy about her age, too. He had white-blonde hair and was wearing a rather large smirk on his face. 'Draco.' Harry nodded coolly. Draco caught Dilandra's eye, and, judging by her expression, thought exactly what she was thinking - Potter was rather annoying. Just then, Harry's friends appeared, and two other boys stood behind Draco. 'Come on, Harry . Let's go.' Hermione said, tugging on his robes. The three left. Dilandra turned to Draco. 'Hi,' she said rather shyly, 'Dilandra Bryden.' 'Draco Malfoy. This is Crabbe and Goyle.' He said, nodding at his friends. 'Oh. Are you all fifth years?' 'Yep.' 'Oh. then you must know a lot a-about magic.' She said even more shyly. 'Enough to get us through.' 'Okay. Umm. well . nice meeting you Draco. and Crabbe and Goyle. Bye.' Dilandra smiled shyly at Draco and began to walk down the corridor back towards her compartment. But, to her pleasure there was a - 'Hey!' Dilandra turned. 'Do you want a game of Exploding Snap?' Dilandra beamed. 'I'd love to.' She walked back to Draco, not noticing Harry staring at her retreating back, a concerned and uncertain look on his face. And it wasn't long before she had fallen into step with her new friend.
*****
'Ha! Got you! You have to pick up, now!' Dilandra couldn't remember the last time she had had so much fun. Draco was laughing so hard, his eyes were watering. Even Crabbe and Goyle grunted with amusement. Suddenly, there was a loud BANG! and the whole pile blew up, singing some material from the seats. This was too much for Dilandra. She hugged her stomach and was choking from laughter. Draco joined in, and if it was possible, began laughing harder than before, banging his fists against the seat. When they had all recovered and had quietened down, the four of them began questioning each other about their family and friends - but mostly about Hogwarts. 'S-so you're saying that Hogwarts is a giant castle with a Headmaster called Dumbledore?' 'Yep.' 'Wow. That's so cool. What were the houses again? I remember Slytherin - that's the one you're in uhh- Ravenclaw, was it? A-and .' 'Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.' Draco said, slowly. 'Yea, that's it. So what's the food like?' 'Pretty good. They have house-elves working in the kitchens, there's about a thousand, I believe.' Dilandra bit into a chocolate frog. 'How old are you?' Draco said, quite suddenly. 'M-me?' Dilandra said, a bit surprised, '15. Turned 15 in July.' 'H-how come you don't know anything about-?' Draco whitened slightly. 'What?' Dilandra asked, now getting a little shocked. 'You mean you didn't come to Hogwarts when you were 11?' 'No,' she replied blankly, then her expression cleared, 'Oh, I know what you're getting at. I didn't get my Hogwarts letter until this year. Before that, I didn't even know that Hogwarts or magic even existed!' she said simply, scrunching up her chocolate frog wrapper. Draco whitened even more. 'That means y-you're a Muggle!' he gasped, his eyes wide. 'A Muggle? What's a Muggle? If its bad, I certainly don't want to be one, thank you very much.' She said quite firmly. Crabbe and Goyle were quietly cowering in the corner and were beadily watching Draco stride restlessly back and forth in the compartment. He finally stopped and turned to Dilandra. 'What year are you going to be put in?' 'Probably the same as you - fifth year.' There was a rather awkward pause. 'If my father -' Draco finally muttered. 'What about your father?' Dilandra snapped. ' - ever, ever found out that I became friends with someone like you .' 'Excuse me? What about someone like me?' 'Just forget it.' And with that, Draco swept out of the compartment. Crabbe and Goyle stood for a second or two before they followed him out of the door, avoiding Dilandra's eyes. She was now utterly alone. Her eyes rather moist, Dilandra slowly walked back to her own compartment. Nephthys was nibbling on a cauldron cake. Seeing Dilandra quite upset, she fluttered onto her owner's shoulder and hooted softly, as though reassuring Dilandra that everything will be okay. 'Nephthys. I don't know where I belong. Maybe it's just you and me . facing this large world full of things I never dreamed of.' And with that she sobbed quietly to herself for the rest of the train journey.
She didn't notice Harry watching her through the compartment window.