Lera gave a sigh of content as she caught sight of the Hogwarts train. She was finally going to Hogwarts! For years she had argued with her father to let her attend, and was only granted permission once she had finished finishing school.
Breathing in the smells of the busy train station, Lera listened to the sounds of witches and wizards talking excitedly around her.
"Hey who's that?"
"Who knows? Doesn't look like a first year."
"I've never seen her before."
"Check out that girl!"
"Think she's new? I hope she's in my year!"
"Who's that? What a knock-out!"
Lera walked quickly towards the train and avoided the questioning faces. Dropping off her luggage, she boarded the train and searched for an empty compartment where she could collect her thoughts. Unfortunately most of them were filling up, and she was forced to move farther and farther back on the train to find an empty compartment. Finally she reached the end, and gratefully it was empty. With a huge sigh she flopped onto one of the chairs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sweetie! There you are! Did you get home all right?"
"Father? What are you doing here?" Lera asked, coming out of the carriage that had dropped her off at her home.
"I came home so I'd be here when you arrived!"
"Oh, thank you." Said Lera. "This isn't like him…he's never come out to welcome me home before." She thought.
"Come inside, the house elves can bring your luggage inside." He said, taking her hand and leading her into the mansion. "I'm so glad you're home honey, we have lots of preparations to do."
"Oh?"
"You see, while you were finishing up your classes, a letter arrived for you." He led her to his study and took a letter off his desk. Opening it, Lera read
"Dear Miss. Lera Strender, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…."
"I don't understand father…are you allowing me to go?"
"Yes girl, you're allowed to go this year."
"Really? Oh thank you! Thank you! I'm so happy! I –"
"Control yourself girl! We don't have time for hysterics, we have to get ready."
"Get…ready..?"
"One of my business friends has a son who goes to Hogwarts, and he has most kindly invited us over so you may meet him. You'll be attending school with his son, so this way he'll be able to show you around."
"I don't believe this! Father, I don't need someone to show me around! Am I just some pawn for you to play matchmaker with?" Lera protested angrily…in an instant she knew she had gone too far.
Charles Strender's eyes narrowed and stared furiously at her. "I though you wanted to go to Hogwarts."
"I do, but –"
"Then you will do as your told and get ready. No buts! You are dismissed."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Excuse me?" a pretty girl with wavy hair said.
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I didn't hear what you said." Lera said, jerking out of the memory.
" No problem. I was just saying that you're in the spot me and my friends usually sit in, and then I asked you if you were new, " the girl said smiling.
"Oh! Yes, I am new. Sorry about that! I didn't know! I just wanted to get away from the crowd. I'll get out of your way." Lera said, blushing from embarrassment.
"Oh, no! You shouldn't have to move! And besides, there aren't any other empty spots. Just sit with us!" the girl said.
"Really? That would be great! Are you sure you don't mind?" Lera said.
"Nope," the girl said, settling down across from Lera. "My name's Hermione, Hermione Granger. What's yours?" Hermione offered her hand.
"Lera," she hesitated, she needed a last name! She couldn't possibly give out her real last name, not with its dark reputation! "Lera….Arel," she said taking Hermione's hand. "I'm going to Hogwarts for my seventh year."
"Ah," said Hermione. "That explains it. You looked too old to be a first year. Well that's great! I'm going for my final year too! I'm really going to miss this school; it's been like a second home to me."
The girls talked for a few minutes. They found that they had tons in common: they'd both been top in their class, read the same novels, and didn't have a boyfriend. As they were talking, the train whistle blew, and the train started moving.
"So how come you don't have a boyfriend? I mean, you're really pretty, so when I first saw you, I thought you were one of those girls who only care about fashion, gossip and boys." Said Hermione.
"Oh, well, my old school was an all girls school, and I because of my family, I've never really got out and interacted with regular kids. It's not that I don't like guys; I'm just not in a real hurry to get a boyfriend. What about you?" asked Lera.
"Oh, well I don't really have any close female friends. So I guess it's cause of that and because I'm such close friends with Ron and Harry." Replied Hermione.
As if on cue, Ron opened the door to the compartment.
"Hermione! There you are! Harry and me were waiting for you outside! You wouldn't be-", Ron stopped as he caught sight of Lera. "Oh sorry! I didn't see you there!"
"This is Lera, she's new." Explained Hermione, smiling.
"Hey Ron, have you found Hermione yet?" a voice from behind Ron asked.
"Yeah, she's in here Harry," said Ron.
"Great!" Harry said pushing his way into the compartment." I can't wait to tell you guys how Dudley's new diet ended, it was-." He caught sight of Lera. "Oh. I didn't know someone was joining us."
"Harry, Ron, this is Lera. You guys don't mind, do you? I offered to let her sit with us."
"Course not, " answered Ron. "Nice to meet you Lera. I'm Ron Weasley, and this is…"
"Harry, Harry Potter." Finished Harry. He braced himself for some sort of reaction. "You'd think by now I'd be used to people reacting" he thought to himself.
Lera stared at him. "Shit! I don't believe this! Harry Potter!? This is the same guy my family wants dead! How am I going to explain this to them? I can't be friends with Hermione if she's friends with this guy!" she thought.
"Lera? Are you okay? Asked Hermione, waving her hand in front of Lera's face.
"Huh? What?
"You kinda spaced out for a minute there," said Ron. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine…
Harry stared at her. "She didn't do anything! She's the first person I've ever met who hasn't. Was it possible that she didn't care who I am? No, that's impossible." He thought.
Lera glanced at Harry. She put on a fake smile. "So Hermione, why don't you tell us that surprise you were saving for when everybody here."
"Ooh! A surprise, do tell," said Ron, catching onto Lera's attempt to change the conversation to something less awkward.
Hermione beamed at him. "Ok! I was waiting for you guys to come so I could tell all of you together!"
"Well, get on with it then." Said Ron, switching seats with Hermione. Grudgingly, Harry sat beside him, across from Lera.
Hermione giggled and pulled out a letter. " I've been made head girl!"
"Wow! That's excellent Hermione!
"Yeah! Great job!"
" Thanks guys! And that makes me the-" began Hermione.
"-35th muggleborn head girl", finished Lera. They stared at her.
"How could you have known that? You'd have to have read-"started Hermione
"-Hogwarts: A History? ", said Lera. "Yeah, I briefly skimmed it over so I was prepared for when I come here. Is something wrong?" she asked, glancing at their face expressions.
Ron burst out laughing. "I'd never thought I'd say this, but I think we've got ourselves another Hermione."
Hermione giggled. "It is a little odd, that we should have both read the same book for our first year."
They all burst into laughter, except Harry. He stared at them like they were crazy. "What's gotten into them?" he wondered. It hadn't even been five minutes and they were acting like they've known each other for years. He didn't know why he wasn't joining in. He'd really been looking forward to spending the year with just Ron and Hermione. But all of a sudden this girl had just appeared…who was she anyways?
"Harry? What do you think?" asked Hermione.
"Oh, yeah…sure. Sounds great." Replied Harry quickly.
"Well, if you think so, I'll ask Dumbledore." Said Hermione. She looked out the window, "We're almost there! We should probably change into our robes. Lera and I will go change somewhere else, you guys can have this compartment." She got up, and Lera followed.
As the girls changed, Lera asked, "Hermione, what house are you and the guys in?
"We're in Griffindor," said Hermione. "See?" she turned around and showed her the Griffindor robe. " The trains stopped, we better get back to the guys."
They headed back, but the guys weren't there. They had left a note saying they'd meet up with them later.
"I have go too," said Hermione. "I need to go ahead and talk to Dumbledore. Go outside and follow the directions of Hagrid, the gamekeeper. He'll take you where you need to go."
"um, ok."
"Good luck! And don't worry about anything, we'll see each other later" said Hermione as she left.
"Too bad Hermione's a Gryfindor," Lera thought. "I'm going to be a Slytherin…I hope we still can be friends…"
Lera picked up her cloak and put the hood over her head. "It'll be easier to avoid stares," she thought. She headed off the train, and made her way to the giant gamekeeper.
"First years, first years, over here! Ah! You must be the new student, right? Asked Hagrid when he caught sight of Lera.
Lera nodded. "Well, just stick close and follow me." Said Hagrid beaming down at her. "All right, everybody follow me." He led them down the path, to the docks. Lera sat in a boat with Hagrid, and the other first years grouped off into the other boats. A cool wind gently rocked the moving boats. They rounded a corner, and Hogwarts came into view. Gazing up at the huge castle, Lera wondered what the year would bring because she had befriended two Gryfindors.
All right, well for those of you who had been reading this story before, you'll notice I've changed this chapter. And as a matter of fact, I've changed all the chapters following this one. Sorry, but the originals were just too sketchy for my liking, and there was a lot of unnecessary sentences that originally would have made sense, but then my ideas for the story changed and those sentences would have just been too confusing to leave in. I also didn't like how I introduced Lera and Harry. When I had been writing those chapters, I was kinda depressed, and that really reflected on my characters. Lera came out really insecure and was giving off this sad girl look. In the original, Harry came out a bit too angry and full of himself. In the real Harry Potter books, Harry is angry, but in this story, I don't think I'd be able to work with that anger, so that was cut. Harry was also very full of himself, and kinda gave off this whole "pity me, I didn't want to be a celebrity, and now I'm bored with being one" I didn't like it, he was just too snotty. Thanks for understanding! Review me, and tell what you think - StarryNight
