"Why Not" Chapter 1
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"Come on, sweetheart! You'll be late for the train!" a woman yelled up the stairs to a closed door. Then, a reply came from the door. "I'll be down soon, mom!" Then, emerging from that closed door was a small girl, about 11, with mid-back length dark brown hair & blue-green eyes. "Come on, Lynnea dear, breakfast is on the table." Lynn quickly dragged her trunk down the stairs, put it by the front door, & ran into the kitchen to eat. Her mother shook her head, a smile on her face. She went up to Lynn's room to make sure she didn't forget anything. Looking around her room, she sighed when she saw pictures of all of her friends back at their old neighborhood. "I hope she makes it through the year," her mom sighed, then went back downstairs. When she got downstairs, Lynn came running to the main hall & said, "Come on, Mom! We've got an hour to get to the train station!" Her mom chuckled & said, "Don't worry, sweetie; let's go now." They quickly went to the car, placed her trunk in the backseat, & drove off.
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"Wake up, Anthony! You're going to be late for the train!" a woman yelled through a closed door. "I'll be right there, mum," a muffled reply came. Soon enough, the door opened & out came a young boy, around 11, with short black hair & bright blue eyes. "Breakfast is on the table, sweetheart; I'll bring your things downstairs." The boy silently agreed, trudging his way down the stairs. His mum just shook her head & went into her son's room to make sure he didn't forget anything. Sighing to herself, she hoped that Ant made some friends at the new school he was going to. Later on, Ant was finished eating & soon enough, they piled his stuff in an old car & they drove off to the train station.
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"Good bye Mom, I love you," Lynn exclaimed, kissing her mom on the cheek. She ran onto the train & waved to her mom through the window. When the train left, Lynn sat down & looked out the window. Lynnea Gaetano had just moved from the United States, her home for all her life, just at the beginning of summer. She & her mom had always been together; her father left their family when she was three. Then, the big news came just after she came home from finishing the 5th grade. She remembered that day well, the day her life changed forever.
*FLASHBACK*
"Hi Mom! I'm home!" Lynn called out, then gasped as she saw all of the packed boxes in their living room. Her mom was in there, sitting on one of the boxes, looking at a picture. Lynn walked over to her mom, & said, "Mom, why are there packed boxes?" Realizing she was there, her mom hid the picture she was looking at & exclaimed, "Oh, I didn't know you were home, sweetheart. How was your last day of school?" "Fine, but what is it with the packed boxes?" Sighing, her mother sat her down on a box & held her hands. "Sweetheart...we're moving." "Moving? Down the street?" Shaking her head, her mom finished, "We're moving to England." Lynn was shocked. Did her mom just say that they were moving.....to England? "No...we can't be. Mom, this is all a joke...right? We can't be moving to England. What about my friends? My life?" "Lynnea, you have to understand why we're moving. I know you don't now, but you eventually will." Lynn was so upset she couldn't cry. Trying to act cool, she asked, "When are we leaving?" "Tomorrow."
*END FLASHBACK*
After that, Lynn didn't talk for the rest of the night. She had to spend the whole night calling & talking to all of her friends, telling them the bad news. Then, when she received an owl to Hogwarts, she couldn't believe that either. Her mom didn't admit that she was a witch, so she suspected something, but that got at her too. She wouldn't even get to see her mom for nine months. That was even worse than leaving home. At least she would see her mom then. A squawk next to her brought her back into the present, & she gazed eyes on Estella, her new snowy white owl with bright blue eyes & a strange silver marking on her right eye that looked like a star. "I know, Estella, this is my future I'm looking at. If I'm going to become a witch, a witch I'll be." Lynn decided that she wanted to take a walk, so she grabbed her new wand, 11" willow wood, phoenix feather, & her new camera that her mom bought for her, & she set out.
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After he said good bye to his mum, Ant set out to find a compartment. Back when he went to muggle school, he wasn't very sociable, so he was going to try to find some friends at Hogwarts. He finally found a compartment with a boy with fiery red hair & blue eyes, & a boy with black hair & emerald green eyes. "Is this compartment full? Every other one is taken," Ant asked politely, remembering what his mum said about manners. The boy with the red hair said, "Sure, you can sit with us." Ant took a seat next to the boy with the red hair, dragging his trunk in with him. "What's your name? I'm Ron Weasly," the redhead stated, holding his hand out for a handshake. Excepting the handshake, Ant replied, "I'm Anthony Hardsgrove, but call me Ant." The other boy stuck out his hand & said, "Hi Ant, I'm Harry Potter." Ant knew him as The-Boy-Who-Lived, the one who survived Voldemort, but Ant wasn't obsessed with him, & plus, he seemed like a normal kid. Ant shook his hand, & said, "Nice to meet you two." They started talking about what they thought Hogwarts was going to be like, & then got on the subject of houses. "I want to be in Gryffindor. My whole family has been placed in Gryffindor," Ron exclaimed proudly. Harry piped up, "As long as I get placed, I'm fine. How about you, Ant? What house do you want to be in?" Ant thought about how his mum was in Gryffindor, but his father was in Ravenclaw. "Either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw will be fine for me." "I would die if I got placed in Slytherin. Every witch or wizard that gets placed in that house turns out dark." This Ant didn't agree with. Maybe dark witches or wizards came out of that house, but not all of them...right? At that moment, the compartment opened & revealed a girl with bushy brown hair & chocolate brown eyes, a bossy aura around her. "Have any of you seen a toad? Neville lost his," she said in a bossy voice. Ron replied, "Why would we have a toad?" The girl just turned her head to him & faced Harry. "Oh, you're Harry Potter, I assume? I've read about you in 'Hogwarts, A History'. I'm Hermione Granger, & who are you two?" "Ron Weasly." "Anthony Hardsgrove, but call me Ant." "Well, I guess I'll see you three at The Sorting. If you find a toad, find me." With that, she left. Ron exclaimed, "A bossy one, isn't she?" "I don't know...," Harry replied, trailing his words. Before they could say anything, someone else opened their compartment. It was another girl, except she had long, dark brown hair & blue-green eyes, her wand in hand & a muggle device called a camera around her wrist. "Hi," she said quietly, "I was just walking around, trying to meet some kids my age. None of the other kids would let me sit with them, so could I sit with you? I promise I won't stay long." Ant & Harry motioned for her to come in, but Ron didn't seem so eager to let her sit with them. She took a seat next to Harry, since Ant was already sitting next to Ron, so she was across from Ant. Ant couldn't help but see she was very pretty for an eleven-year old. "Oh no, I haven't even introduced myself yet," the girl chuckled. Ant hated to admit it, but he liked her laugh. "Well, I'll start," he said, sticking out his hand, "I'm Anthony Hardsgrove, but call me Ant." "Quite the gentleman, aren't you?" she laughed, taking his hand. For a split second, he felt a jolt, but ignored it quickly enough. "Well, I'm Lynnea Gaetano, but call me Lynn. Who are you two?" "Ron Weasly," Ron replied, shaking her hand, & Harry replied, "Harry Potter," & also shook her hand. Ron piped up, "So what house do you want to be in, Lynn?"
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"Actually, I really don't know what the houses are," she replied, blushing in embarrassment. The boy named Ant exclaimed, "We'll tell you what the houses are. Well, there's Gryffindor, for the brave, Ravenclaw, for the smart, Hufflepuff, for the loyal, & Slytherin, for the cunning. I want to be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, but the other houses are alright." Harry added, "I want to be in Gryffindor, & Ron wants to be in Gryffindor also. He said that most dark witches & wizards usually come out of Slytherin, so I'm staying out of there." Lynn had a confused look on her face. "Does that mean that other people don't like you if you're in Slytherin, even if you were friends before?" she asked, testing them without them knowing. "You've got it," Ron replied hotly, giving her this look. Harry didn't say anything, but Ant replied, "If that person is really your friend, they won't stop being friends with you just because you're in Slytherin." Lynn smiled; she liked Ant already. Deciding she wanted to go back into her compartment, Lynn got up & said, "Well, I'm going back to my compartment. I guess I'll see you guys at The Sorting. Good luck with houses, Harry, Ron, & Ant." She went to walk out, but Ant got up & surprised her by saying, "I'll go with you. It's not fair that you're in a compartment by yourself." She smiled. "Alright, anyone else want to come?" Ron shook his head 'no' immediately, but Harry said, "I'll go. I'll be back later, Ron." Lynn walked out, with Harry & Ant behind her. She didn't see Ron mutter, "Brainless dark witch."
When they got into her compartment, a plump witch came & asked, "Would any of you like a snack, dearies?" Lynn was starved, not having anything to eat since breakfast, so she quickly got up to get something. Looking at the snacks, she saw there was weird food that she wasn't used to, so she took a little bit of everything, & some pumpkin juice. Ant & Harry also got snacks, then they sat down & ate. Taking a bite out of a Pumpkin Pastry, as it was called, she asked, "So, where do you guys come from?" Harry said, "Well, I'm living with my Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, & Dudely, my cousin. They hate me, & vise versa for them; they had me locked in a cupboard for most of my life, so wasn't there to hate about them?" Lynn didn't say anything, but the expression on her face was enough to show that she felt really bad for him. Then, Ant said, "Well, my life is a little bit different. I live with my mum, who is home all of the time, my dad, who's never home, & 2 sisters & a brother; they're triplets. The oldest is my one sister, Melinda, or Mel, the next is my other sister, Anelicia, or Air, & then it's my brother, Biernard, or Bri; they'll be fifteen on May 23. How about you, Lynn?" "Well, me & mom just moved here from the USA this summer. Pretty sudden for me, & then receiving my owl for this school was another shock. I've always believed in magical stuff, but I never thought I was a witch."
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Ant had to agree with her. It's pretty shocking when you find out you're a witch or a wizard. For him, he was lucky enough that his older brother & sisters went to their friend's house the night before, so he didn't have to deal with them.......yet. They always found a way to bug him. Well, that was life, & right now, his mind was focused on this beautiful girl sitting in front of him.....wait.....ahhhh! She can't be beautiful! I'm only eleven! What the-! "Ant! What's wrong?" Lynn asked worriedly, shaking him. He got out of his shock, & blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry about that, I was thinking about something." He cursed himself quietly as Lynn replied, "I was worried about you. You just turned......ghostly white & your eyes went silvery gray." "Yeah, are you alright Ant?" Harry asked him, also worried. Ant shook his head, his face reading 'don't-worry-I'm-fine' & luckily they bought it. At that moment, though, someone opened their compartment door. There was a boy with almost white blonde hair slicked back & the weirdest looking gray eyes. Then, he had two huge, height & waist-wise, boys their age standing on either side of him. "Oh look, it's Harry Potter," the boy sneered, a smirk on his face. Harry shot him a glare back. Then, he turned to him & Lynn. "Who are these two?" "I'm Anthony Hardsgrove, call me Ant," Ant said, sticking out his hand for a handshake. The boy gave him a look, & then accepted his hand. "I'm Draco Malfoy, & who is this lovely girl?" Lynn blushed ever so slightly & replied, "Lynnea Gaetano, but call me Lynn." Draco took her hand & kissed it, making Lynn blushed even harder than she already was. "Why don't you two come sit with me & my friends? I'm sure we're better than Potter over here." Draco gave another glare to Harry, which Harry gladly returned. Getting up, Harry told Ant & Lynn, "Well, I'm going to go sit back with Ron. Come meet up with us later." With that, Harry shoved past Draco & his two friends. To Ant, Draco seemed alright; maybe a bit too cocky, but alright none-the-less. "So, are you two coming or not?" Draco stated again, starting to turn to leave. Lynn got up & said, "Sure, I'll come. Are you coming Ant?" Thinking about this, Ant also got up & said, "Sure, I'll come too." With that, Lynn & Ant followed Draco & his friends out of the compartment.
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Walking behind Draco, Lynn didn't want to admit that he was extremely cute; he reminded her of one of her best friends back in New Jersey. He, being named Toby Demurs, also had platinum blonde hair, but light blue eyes. He was classified as the bully in their grade, but Lynn knew there was a good side to him; that's why she was friends with him. To her, Draco & Toby were alike, & another crush of hers was forming. Sensing someone staring at her, she turned to see Ant gazing at her, an unreadable look on his face. She smiled at him, & he smiled back, then looked forward. Even though she just met him, she felt like she, too, could trust him. She also kinda felt that with Harry, but Ron was another story. It felt like he hated her, but she didn't know why. A lot of other kids were like that to her too, & that made her feel uncomfortable. 'Why are all of them kids acting like that around me?' she thought, but then they arrived at their destination. Draco opened the door, & they entered. Lynn laid eyes on three girls & one boy in the compartment. One of the girls had blonde hair down to her mid-back & pale green eyes, almost like a sea green color; she was busy looking through a Teen Witch magazine. Next to her was a big girl, but only in height, with mousy brown hair to her shoulders & bright blue eyes; she was writing something in a black notebook. The last girl, who was sitting next to the window, had pitch black hair in a low ponytail, which appeared to be to her mid-back, & startling violet eyes; she had to be the prettiest out of the three girls. Then, there was a boy with light brown hair & midnight blue eyes, also sitting next to the window, but had headphones on his ears. The blonde looked up & smiled, saying, "Hey Draco. Find anyone we don't know yet?" Draco, taking a seat next to the other boy, also smiled & said, "Actually, we did. Come on in you guys." The other two boys, already being in there, took seats next to Draco, then Lynn came in, Ant following behind her. Draco stood up, once again, & cleared his throat. "Guys, I would like you to meet Anthony Hardsgrove & Lynnea Gaetano, but they like to be called Ant & Lynn." "Hey," Lynn said, followed by Ant saying, "Hey," also. The blonde stood up & said, "Hi, my name's Pansy Parkinson, & these other two girls are Millicent Bulstrode & Blaise Zabini." Millicent, the girl with the mousy hair, looked up & said, "Hi," & the girl by the window, being Blaise, smiled, then turned back to the window. Draco then said, "The two guys I were with are Vincent Crabbe," the boy big waist-wise grinned toothily, "& the other was Gregory Goyle," the boy tall-wise also smiled, "& the other guy sitting by the window is Cameron Nott." Cameron just nodded, looking back out of the window. Pansy made room & said, "Lynn, sit here." Lynn sat by Pansy as Ant sat next to Draco. Pansy turned to Lynn & asked, "Where are you from? I haven't seen you around." "Oh, me & my mom just moved here from the USA. One day, she just said, 'We're going to England!', & that was the end of that." Pansy gave a look of sympathy, & said, "Sorry about that. It must bite, being taken from the only home you knew." Lynn sighed, & said, "Yeah, it does suck. So, where do you come from?" "Well, my dad works at the Ministry of Magic, & my mum is a fashion designer for a famous wizard clothing company. We get a lot of money, so we live in a manor. It's not too big, but it isn't small either." "That's awesome. My mom just became a fashion designer for a Muggle company; she's really good at designing new styles that usually sell good." Having a confused expression on her face, she asked, "You grew up in a Muggle neighborhood?" "Yeah, but I've always wanted to be a witch. I was still shocked when I got my owl, though." Turning a red color, Pansy asked, "What's the muggle world like?" Laughing, Lynn said, "You don't have to be embarrassed about asking me that! Well, American muggles are really cool; they were my friends. Then, the British muggles are kinda conceded. Really rude sometimes & snobby. I miss America, but the wizarding world here is pretty cool." Then, Lynn got into telling Pansy about what New Jersey was like.
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While this was going on, Ant was talking to Draco. "Are you friends with Potter & Weasly?" Draco asked, looking at Ant. Ant thought about that, & said, "Kind of, I guess. Harry is pretty cool, but doesn't stand up for himself much, & Ron has too much of a temper most of the time & talks badly about a lot of people. He hardly gives anyone a chance sometimes." Draco then replied, "Look, a lot of people have always told me I'm a good judge of character. I think that even though they seem cool, they probably aren't. I mean, I tried being Potter's friend, but he didn't give me a chance. Then, Weasly is too stuck up a lot, so I just say he's poor to cover up that I never wanted to be his friend. You, I think you're a cool guy to hang out with; even if you stay friends with those two, don't let them influence you to hate me. Lynn seems really nice too, that's why I picked you two to be our friends, also. Just because of our families, everyone already dislikes us...except for Slytherins. Anyway, off that subject. What house do you want to be in? I was to be in Slytherin, obviously." Ant & Draco laughed, then Ant said, "Well, my parents were in Gryffindor for my dad, & Ravenclaw for my mum. I'll probably be in one of those houses, but Slytherin doesn't sound bad either, if you guys are in Slytherin. Harry & Ron are convinced that Slytherin only has bad witches or wizards, but I don't agree. You guys seem pretty cool to me, & my mum always said that I was a good judge of character." Draco agreed, "Yeah, I think you are." They continued talking about all sorts of things about Hogwarts & how cool it'll be to go there.
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Back in Harry & Ron's compartment, they were talking about Draco & the other soon-to-be Slytherins. "Man, I hate Malfoy! He gets on my nerves so bad, & I just met him!" Harry rambled, still fuming from when he was sitting with Ant & Lynn. Ron added, "Yeah, I hate it when he makes fun of my family just because we're poor. At least I'm not a stuck-up brat like him. I hope we never become friends with him or anyone friends with him." Then, Harry got an idea. "Let's make a pact. This is a pact to never befriend a Slytherin or a friend or friends with Slytherins. If a friend of ours becomes friends with Slytherins, we'll make that person's life one that they'll never forget & show them that no Slytherins are good." With that, Harry & Ron did a secret handshake thing & the pact was in place. Little did they know then, Lynn & Ant were already friends with Slytherins. With that, all chaos breaks loose once they find out, & nothing will turn out the way it was supposed to.
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"Come on, sweetheart! You'll be late for the train!" a woman yelled up the stairs to a closed door. Then, a reply came from the door. "I'll be down soon, mom!" Then, emerging from that closed door was a small girl, about 11, with mid-back length dark brown hair & blue-green eyes. "Come on, Lynnea dear, breakfast is on the table." Lynn quickly dragged her trunk down the stairs, put it by the front door, & ran into the kitchen to eat. Her mother shook her head, a smile on her face. She went up to Lynn's room to make sure she didn't forget anything. Looking around her room, she sighed when she saw pictures of all of her friends back at their old neighborhood. "I hope she makes it through the year," her mom sighed, then went back downstairs. When she got downstairs, Lynn came running to the main hall & said, "Come on, Mom! We've got an hour to get to the train station!" Her mom chuckled & said, "Don't worry, sweetie; let's go now." They quickly went to the car, placed her trunk in the backseat, & drove off.
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"Wake up, Anthony! You're going to be late for the train!" a woman yelled through a closed door. "I'll be right there, mum," a muffled reply came. Soon enough, the door opened & out came a young boy, around 11, with short black hair & bright blue eyes. "Breakfast is on the table, sweetheart; I'll bring your things downstairs." The boy silently agreed, trudging his way down the stairs. His mum just shook her head & went into her son's room to make sure he didn't forget anything. Sighing to herself, she hoped that Ant made some friends at the new school he was going to. Later on, Ant was finished eating & soon enough, they piled his stuff in an old car & they drove off to the train station.
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"Good bye Mom, I love you," Lynn exclaimed, kissing her mom on the cheek. She ran onto the train & waved to her mom through the window. When the train left, Lynn sat down & looked out the window. Lynnea Gaetano had just moved from the United States, her home for all her life, just at the beginning of summer. She & her mom had always been together; her father left their family when she was three. Then, the big news came just after she came home from finishing the 5th grade. She remembered that day well, the day her life changed forever.
*FLASHBACK*
"Hi Mom! I'm home!" Lynn called out, then gasped as she saw all of the packed boxes in their living room. Her mom was in there, sitting on one of the boxes, looking at a picture. Lynn walked over to her mom, & said, "Mom, why are there packed boxes?" Realizing she was there, her mom hid the picture she was looking at & exclaimed, "Oh, I didn't know you were home, sweetheart. How was your last day of school?" "Fine, but what is it with the packed boxes?" Sighing, her mother sat her down on a box & held her hands. "Sweetheart...we're moving." "Moving? Down the street?" Shaking her head, her mom finished, "We're moving to England." Lynn was shocked. Did her mom just say that they were moving.....to England? "No...we can't be. Mom, this is all a joke...right? We can't be moving to England. What about my friends? My life?" "Lynnea, you have to understand why we're moving. I know you don't now, but you eventually will." Lynn was so upset she couldn't cry. Trying to act cool, she asked, "When are we leaving?" "Tomorrow."
*END FLASHBACK*
After that, Lynn didn't talk for the rest of the night. She had to spend the whole night calling & talking to all of her friends, telling them the bad news. Then, when she received an owl to Hogwarts, she couldn't believe that either. Her mom didn't admit that she was a witch, so she suspected something, but that got at her too. She wouldn't even get to see her mom for nine months. That was even worse than leaving home. At least she would see her mom then. A squawk next to her brought her back into the present, & she gazed eyes on Estella, her new snowy white owl with bright blue eyes & a strange silver marking on her right eye that looked like a star. "I know, Estella, this is my future I'm looking at. If I'm going to become a witch, a witch I'll be." Lynn decided that she wanted to take a walk, so she grabbed her new wand, 11" willow wood, phoenix feather, & her new camera that her mom bought for her, & she set out.
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After he said good bye to his mum, Ant set out to find a compartment. Back when he went to muggle school, he wasn't very sociable, so he was going to try to find some friends at Hogwarts. He finally found a compartment with a boy with fiery red hair & blue eyes, & a boy with black hair & emerald green eyes. "Is this compartment full? Every other one is taken," Ant asked politely, remembering what his mum said about manners. The boy with the red hair said, "Sure, you can sit with us." Ant took a seat next to the boy with the red hair, dragging his trunk in with him. "What's your name? I'm Ron Weasly," the redhead stated, holding his hand out for a handshake. Excepting the handshake, Ant replied, "I'm Anthony Hardsgrove, but call me Ant." The other boy stuck out his hand & said, "Hi Ant, I'm Harry Potter." Ant knew him as The-Boy-Who-Lived, the one who survived Voldemort, but Ant wasn't obsessed with him, & plus, he seemed like a normal kid. Ant shook his hand, & said, "Nice to meet you two." They started talking about what they thought Hogwarts was going to be like, & then got on the subject of houses. "I want to be in Gryffindor. My whole family has been placed in Gryffindor," Ron exclaimed proudly. Harry piped up, "As long as I get placed, I'm fine. How about you, Ant? What house do you want to be in?" Ant thought about how his mum was in Gryffindor, but his father was in Ravenclaw. "Either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw will be fine for me." "I would die if I got placed in Slytherin. Every witch or wizard that gets placed in that house turns out dark." This Ant didn't agree with. Maybe dark witches or wizards came out of that house, but not all of them...right? At that moment, the compartment opened & revealed a girl with bushy brown hair & chocolate brown eyes, a bossy aura around her. "Have any of you seen a toad? Neville lost his," she said in a bossy voice. Ron replied, "Why would we have a toad?" The girl just turned her head to him & faced Harry. "Oh, you're Harry Potter, I assume? I've read about you in 'Hogwarts, A History'. I'm Hermione Granger, & who are you two?" "Ron Weasly." "Anthony Hardsgrove, but call me Ant." "Well, I guess I'll see you three at The Sorting. If you find a toad, find me." With that, she left. Ron exclaimed, "A bossy one, isn't she?" "I don't know...," Harry replied, trailing his words. Before they could say anything, someone else opened their compartment. It was another girl, except she had long, dark brown hair & blue-green eyes, her wand in hand & a muggle device called a camera around her wrist. "Hi," she said quietly, "I was just walking around, trying to meet some kids my age. None of the other kids would let me sit with them, so could I sit with you? I promise I won't stay long." Ant & Harry motioned for her to come in, but Ron didn't seem so eager to let her sit with them. She took a seat next to Harry, since Ant was already sitting next to Ron, so she was across from Ant. Ant couldn't help but see she was very pretty for an eleven-year old. "Oh no, I haven't even introduced myself yet," the girl chuckled. Ant hated to admit it, but he liked her laugh. "Well, I'll start," he said, sticking out his hand, "I'm Anthony Hardsgrove, but call me Ant." "Quite the gentleman, aren't you?" she laughed, taking his hand. For a split second, he felt a jolt, but ignored it quickly enough. "Well, I'm Lynnea Gaetano, but call me Lynn. Who are you two?" "Ron Weasly," Ron replied, shaking her hand, & Harry replied, "Harry Potter," & also shook her hand. Ron piped up, "So what house do you want to be in, Lynn?"
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"Actually, I really don't know what the houses are," she replied, blushing in embarrassment. The boy named Ant exclaimed, "We'll tell you what the houses are. Well, there's Gryffindor, for the brave, Ravenclaw, for the smart, Hufflepuff, for the loyal, & Slytherin, for the cunning. I want to be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, but the other houses are alright." Harry added, "I want to be in Gryffindor, & Ron wants to be in Gryffindor also. He said that most dark witches & wizards usually come out of Slytherin, so I'm staying out of there." Lynn had a confused look on her face. "Does that mean that other people don't like you if you're in Slytherin, even if you were friends before?" she asked, testing them without them knowing. "You've got it," Ron replied hotly, giving her this look. Harry didn't say anything, but Ant replied, "If that person is really your friend, they won't stop being friends with you just because you're in Slytherin." Lynn smiled; she liked Ant already. Deciding she wanted to go back into her compartment, Lynn got up & said, "Well, I'm going back to my compartment. I guess I'll see you guys at The Sorting. Good luck with houses, Harry, Ron, & Ant." She went to walk out, but Ant got up & surprised her by saying, "I'll go with you. It's not fair that you're in a compartment by yourself." She smiled. "Alright, anyone else want to come?" Ron shook his head 'no' immediately, but Harry said, "I'll go. I'll be back later, Ron." Lynn walked out, with Harry & Ant behind her. She didn't see Ron mutter, "Brainless dark witch."
When they got into her compartment, a plump witch came & asked, "Would any of you like a snack, dearies?" Lynn was starved, not having anything to eat since breakfast, so she quickly got up to get something. Looking at the snacks, she saw there was weird food that she wasn't used to, so she took a little bit of everything, & some pumpkin juice. Ant & Harry also got snacks, then they sat down & ate. Taking a bite out of a Pumpkin Pastry, as it was called, she asked, "So, where do you guys come from?" Harry said, "Well, I'm living with my Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, & Dudely, my cousin. They hate me, & vise versa for them; they had me locked in a cupboard for most of my life, so wasn't there to hate about them?" Lynn didn't say anything, but the expression on her face was enough to show that she felt really bad for him. Then, Ant said, "Well, my life is a little bit different. I live with my mum, who is home all of the time, my dad, who's never home, & 2 sisters & a brother; they're triplets. The oldest is my one sister, Melinda, or Mel, the next is my other sister, Anelicia, or Air, & then it's my brother, Biernard, or Bri; they'll be fifteen on May 23. How about you, Lynn?" "Well, me & mom just moved here from the USA this summer. Pretty sudden for me, & then receiving my owl for this school was another shock. I've always believed in magical stuff, but I never thought I was a witch."
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Ant had to agree with her. It's pretty shocking when you find out you're a witch or a wizard. For him, he was lucky enough that his older brother & sisters went to their friend's house the night before, so he didn't have to deal with them.......yet. They always found a way to bug him. Well, that was life, & right now, his mind was focused on this beautiful girl sitting in front of him.....wait.....ahhhh! She can't be beautiful! I'm only eleven! What the-! "Ant! What's wrong?" Lynn asked worriedly, shaking him. He got out of his shock, & blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry about that, I was thinking about something." He cursed himself quietly as Lynn replied, "I was worried about you. You just turned......ghostly white & your eyes went silvery gray." "Yeah, are you alright Ant?" Harry asked him, also worried. Ant shook his head, his face reading 'don't-worry-I'm-fine' & luckily they bought it. At that moment, though, someone opened their compartment door. There was a boy with almost white blonde hair slicked back & the weirdest looking gray eyes. Then, he had two huge, height & waist-wise, boys their age standing on either side of him. "Oh look, it's Harry Potter," the boy sneered, a smirk on his face. Harry shot him a glare back. Then, he turned to him & Lynn. "Who are these two?" "I'm Anthony Hardsgrove, call me Ant," Ant said, sticking out his hand for a handshake. The boy gave him a look, & then accepted his hand. "I'm Draco Malfoy, & who is this lovely girl?" Lynn blushed ever so slightly & replied, "Lynnea Gaetano, but call me Lynn." Draco took her hand & kissed it, making Lynn blushed even harder than she already was. "Why don't you two come sit with me & my friends? I'm sure we're better than Potter over here." Draco gave another glare to Harry, which Harry gladly returned. Getting up, Harry told Ant & Lynn, "Well, I'm going to go sit back with Ron. Come meet up with us later." With that, Harry shoved past Draco & his two friends. To Ant, Draco seemed alright; maybe a bit too cocky, but alright none-the-less. "So, are you two coming or not?" Draco stated again, starting to turn to leave. Lynn got up & said, "Sure, I'll come. Are you coming Ant?" Thinking about this, Ant also got up & said, "Sure, I'll come too." With that, Lynn & Ant followed Draco & his friends out of the compartment.
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Walking behind Draco, Lynn didn't want to admit that he was extremely cute; he reminded her of one of her best friends back in New Jersey. He, being named Toby Demurs, also had platinum blonde hair, but light blue eyes. He was classified as the bully in their grade, but Lynn knew there was a good side to him; that's why she was friends with him. To her, Draco & Toby were alike, & another crush of hers was forming. Sensing someone staring at her, she turned to see Ant gazing at her, an unreadable look on his face. She smiled at him, & he smiled back, then looked forward. Even though she just met him, she felt like she, too, could trust him. She also kinda felt that with Harry, but Ron was another story. It felt like he hated her, but she didn't know why. A lot of other kids were like that to her too, & that made her feel uncomfortable. 'Why are all of them kids acting like that around me?' she thought, but then they arrived at their destination. Draco opened the door, & they entered. Lynn laid eyes on three girls & one boy in the compartment. One of the girls had blonde hair down to her mid-back & pale green eyes, almost like a sea green color; she was busy looking through a Teen Witch magazine. Next to her was a big girl, but only in height, with mousy brown hair to her shoulders & bright blue eyes; she was writing something in a black notebook. The last girl, who was sitting next to the window, had pitch black hair in a low ponytail, which appeared to be to her mid-back, & startling violet eyes; she had to be the prettiest out of the three girls. Then, there was a boy with light brown hair & midnight blue eyes, also sitting next to the window, but had headphones on his ears. The blonde looked up & smiled, saying, "Hey Draco. Find anyone we don't know yet?" Draco, taking a seat next to the other boy, also smiled & said, "Actually, we did. Come on in you guys." The other two boys, already being in there, took seats next to Draco, then Lynn came in, Ant following behind her. Draco stood up, once again, & cleared his throat. "Guys, I would like you to meet Anthony Hardsgrove & Lynnea Gaetano, but they like to be called Ant & Lynn." "Hey," Lynn said, followed by Ant saying, "Hey," also. The blonde stood up & said, "Hi, my name's Pansy Parkinson, & these other two girls are Millicent Bulstrode & Blaise Zabini." Millicent, the girl with the mousy hair, looked up & said, "Hi," & the girl by the window, being Blaise, smiled, then turned back to the window. Draco then said, "The two guys I were with are Vincent Crabbe," the boy big waist-wise grinned toothily, "& the other was Gregory Goyle," the boy tall-wise also smiled, "& the other guy sitting by the window is Cameron Nott." Cameron just nodded, looking back out of the window. Pansy made room & said, "Lynn, sit here." Lynn sat by Pansy as Ant sat next to Draco. Pansy turned to Lynn & asked, "Where are you from? I haven't seen you around." "Oh, me & my mom just moved here from the USA. One day, she just said, 'We're going to England!', & that was the end of that." Pansy gave a look of sympathy, & said, "Sorry about that. It must bite, being taken from the only home you knew." Lynn sighed, & said, "Yeah, it does suck. So, where do you come from?" "Well, my dad works at the Ministry of Magic, & my mum is a fashion designer for a famous wizard clothing company. We get a lot of money, so we live in a manor. It's not too big, but it isn't small either." "That's awesome. My mom just became a fashion designer for a Muggle company; she's really good at designing new styles that usually sell good." Having a confused expression on her face, she asked, "You grew up in a Muggle neighborhood?" "Yeah, but I've always wanted to be a witch. I was still shocked when I got my owl, though." Turning a red color, Pansy asked, "What's the muggle world like?" Laughing, Lynn said, "You don't have to be embarrassed about asking me that! Well, American muggles are really cool; they were my friends. Then, the British muggles are kinda conceded. Really rude sometimes & snobby. I miss America, but the wizarding world here is pretty cool." Then, Lynn got into telling Pansy about what New Jersey was like.
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While this was going on, Ant was talking to Draco. "Are you friends with Potter & Weasly?" Draco asked, looking at Ant. Ant thought about that, & said, "Kind of, I guess. Harry is pretty cool, but doesn't stand up for himself much, & Ron has too much of a temper most of the time & talks badly about a lot of people. He hardly gives anyone a chance sometimes." Draco then replied, "Look, a lot of people have always told me I'm a good judge of character. I think that even though they seem cool, they probably aren't. I mean, I tried being Potter's friend, but he didn't give me a chance. Then, Weasly is too stuck up a lot, so I just say he's poor to cover up that I never wanted to be his friend. You, I think you're a cool guy to hang out with; even if you stay friends with those two, don't let them influence you to hate me. Lynn seems really nice too, that's why I picked you two to be our friends, also. Just because of our families, everyone already dislikes us...except for Slytherins. Anyway, off that subject. What house do you want to be in? I was to be in Slytherin, obviously." Ant & Draco laughed, then Ant said, "Well, my parents were in Gryffindor for my dad, & Ravenclaw for my mum. I'll probably be in one of those houses, but Slytherin doesn't sound bad either, if you guys are in Slytherin. Harry & Ron are convinced that Slytherin only has bad witches or wizards, but I don't agree. You guys seem pretty cool to me, & my mum always said that I was a good judge of character." Draco agreed, "Yeah, I think you are." They continued talking about all sorts of things about Hogwarts & how cool it'll be to go there.
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Back in Harry & Ron's compartment, they were talking about Draco & the other soon-to-be Slytherins. "Man, I hate Malfoy! He gets on my nerves so bad, & I just met him!" Harry rambled, still fuming from when he was sitting with Ant & Lynn. Ron added, "Yeah, I hate it when he makes fun of my family just because we're poor. At least I'm not a stuck-up brat like him. I hope we never become friends with him or anyone friends with him." Then, Harry got an idea. "Let's make a pact. This is a pact to never befriend a Slytherin or a friend or friends with Slytherins. If a friend of ours becomes friends with Slytherins, we'll make that person's life one that they'll never forget & show them that no Slytherins are good." With that, Harry & Ron did a secret handshake thing & the pact was in place. Little did they know then, Lynn & Ant were already friends with Slytherins. With that, all chaos breaks loose once they find out, & nothing will turn out the way it was supposed to.