"Julia! Julia, dear!" Julia Harris turned around at the sound of her
mother's voice.
"Mum, what is it? I'm going to miss the train!" she indicated the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine that was to take Julia and her fellow students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was Julia's first year, and missing the train was not how she wanted to start it.
"Here." her mother shoved a green cardboard box at her. "It's a letter- writing set. Your father and I expect a letter at least every three weeks."
"Yes, Mum."
"Now go dear! You'll miss the train if you don't hurry up!" Mrs. Harris gave her daughter a quick peck on the cheek. Julia rolled her eyes inwardly. She quickly took off, dragging her large trunk behind her, as well an owl's cage, in which her owl, Ignatius, was hooting impatiently. Though she had been able to drag her belongings this far, Julia found herself incapable of shoving them into the luggage compartment. It was simply too heavy. She grunted with effort and impatience as she tried and failed to lift the trunk off of her trolley.
"Need some help?" Julia looked up. A tall, dark-haired boy of about her age stared down at her.
"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."
"Here. You grab one end, I'll get the other." Between the two of them, Julia and the strange boy managed to shove the case firmly into the compartment. There was a whistle, and the train began to move.
"Bloody hell!" Julia gasped. Could this get any worse? But, once again, the boy was all too eager to assist.
"Here, give me that box," The boy took the letter set and jumped to the entrance, setting the box aside. "Now the owl." Julia quickly handed out Ignatius' cage. The tawny owl hooted indignantly. The boy set the cage next to the box. "Now give me your hand, and I'll pull you up." Julia nodded between heavy breaths from trying to keep up with the train. She reached out her hand, and at the same time grabbed the metal railing by the entrance, and at last was heaved onto the train.
"Thanks a lot," Julia wheezed greatfully.
"Not a problem. I suppose I ought to introduce myself, then." The boy stuck out a large hand. "I'm Sirius Black." Julia shook the boy's hand.
"Julia Harris. I'm a first year."
"Well, isn't that a coincidence? So am I." Sirius grinned. "You can come and sit with me and my friends, if you'd like."
"Thanks again. I'm afraid I don't know many other witches or wizards my own age."
"Where're you from, then?"
"London. I live on Charing Cross road, just across the street from the Leaky Cauldron."
"I'm in London, too. Up on Grimmauld Place. Here's where we're sitting." He indicated a seating compartment in which two other boys sat by the window, across from each other.
"Julia, these are my friends. James Potter," he pointed to a boy with short, wild black hair, "and Remus Lupin," he indicated the boy across from James. He was dressed somewhat conservatively, and had slightly shaggy hair that kept falling across his face as he put away the book he'd been reading.
"This is that girl you jumped off the train to go help? Nice catch, Sirius." James grinned broadly at his friend. Sirius shot James a death glare and elbowed him into silence.
"What house you going for, Harris?" Remus asked causually.
"Oh, I think I should like to be in Gryffindor."
"Good choice," James said. Remus picked his book back up and continued reading. Julia looked at the book with interest.
"Is that 'The Once and Future King' you're reading?"
"Yeah, what of it?"
"Well, it's brilliant, isn't it? Are you reading it for the first time?" she asked curiously.
"Er, no. This is about the third time I've gone through it. Into Lancelot and Guenevere, are you?" Remus asked skeptically.
"Oh no. I can't stand them. They were so stupid. I have no sympathy for cheaters of any sort. Personally I've always liked Merlin."
"Looks like you've finally found a kindred spirit, Remus," Sirius said, grinning. He added, "Julia's from London. She lives across from the Leaky Cauldron."
"Is that so? So how come I haven't seen you around?" James asked.
"Er..."
"There something you're not telling us Harris?" Remus inquired.
"No! Of course not. My mother doesn't let me go into the bar very often."
"Sounds to me like she's a tad overprotective," Sirius put in.
"You've no idea. I almost missed the train because she was telling me to write her every three weeks. She and Dad'll probably go insane if they get one even a day late." There was a knock on the glass wall of the compartment.
"Anything off the trolley?" a chubby witch with gray hair stood behind a large cart laden with food. Everyone reached into their pockets for money.
"Er, I'll have one of those," Julia indicated a cellophane-wrapped snack labeled "Cauldron Cake". She dug through her pocket and took out two small bronze coins, and paid the witch. Julia tore into her purchase as her companions bought things off the cart. She was starving, and the cake was delicious. It was spicy and sweet, covered in sugary black frosting.
Julia watched as her new friends all ate their food and hoped that nobody had figured out her secret. She didn't think her cover had been too good. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to find out the real reason that James had never seen her in the Leaky Cauldron, or why she didn't know too many witches or wizards her own age. Julia was muggle-born, and she had no idea how that sort of thing would be received with her schoolmates. She was sure that it made you at least a little less favorable than if you'd been born into a wizarding family. Ever since she'd convinced her mother to let her go to Hogwarts, Julia had been reading up on everything having to do with wizards. She was not about to go to school without some sort of prior knowledge of the place she was bout to spend seven years in.
A sputter cut through the seating compartment which, up until that point, had been silent.
"Ugh!"
"Bad bean, James?" Remus asked, amused. James nodded, his face twisted in disgust.
"Raw liver," he said. He looked as though he might vomit. Julia was confused for a moment, until she realized what James had been eating. Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. She'd seen some in a shop window in Diagon Alley when she'd gone to get her school supplies.
"Bad luck, mate," Sirius laughed, "So I take it that means you're done with those?" James nodded and handed the box to his friend. Sirius selected one, and held the box out to Julia. "Want one?"
"Sure. Thanks." she looked through the box, searching for one that looked like it might be less offensive. She decided on a brown one that looked like it might be caramel.
"Well? What sort is it?" Remus watched her chew.
"It's...It's toast. Wow! It tastes just like it, too!" Julia said, amazed.
"Of course it does. What do you expect?" James asked. It was then that Julia realized she had made another mistake. She bit her tongue, and decided to change the subject.
"Hadn't we better change into our uniforms? We can't be far from the school by now."
"Yeah, yeah I suppose we'd better." Everyone got into their suitcases and pulled out the black robes, shirt and tie that were the required uniform of the school, then left to go change in the bathrooms.
"Mum, what is it? I'm going to miss the train!" she indicated the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine that was to take Julia and her fellow students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was Julia's first year, and missing the train was not how she wanted to start it.
"Here." her mother shoved a green cardboard box at her. "It's a letter- writing set. Your father and I expect a letter at least every three weeks."
"Yes, Mum."
"Now go dear! You'll miss the train if you don't hurry up!" Mrs. Harris gave her daughter a quick peck on the cheek. Julia rolled her eyes inwardly. She quickly took off, dragging her large trunk behind her, as well an owl's cage, in which her owl, Ignatius, was hooting impatiently. Though she had been able to drag her belongings this far, Julia found herself incapable of shoving them into the luggage compartment. It was simply too heavy. She grunted with effort and impatience as she tried and failed to lift the trunk off of her trolley.
"Need some help?" Julia looked up. A tall, dark-haired boy of about her age stared down at her.
"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."
"Here. You grab one end, I'll get the other." Between the two of them, Julia and the strange boy managed to shove the case firmly into the compartment. There was a whistle, and the train began to move.
"Bloody hell!" Julia gasped. Could this get any worse? But, once again, the boy was all too eager to assist.
"Here, give me that box," The boy took the letter set and jumped to the entrance, setting the box aside. "Now the owl." Julia quickly handed out Ignatius' cage. The tawny owl hooted indignantly. The boy set the cage next to the box. "Now give me your hand, and I'll pull you up." Julia nodded between heavy breaths from trying to keep up with the train. She reached out her hand, and at the same time grabbed the metal railing by the entrance, and at last was heaved onto the train.
"Thanks a lot," Julia wheezed greatfully.
"Not a problem. I suppose I ought to introduce myself, then." The boy stuck out a large hand. "I'm Sirius Black." Julia shook the boy's hand.
"Julia Harris. I'm a first year."
"Well, isn't that a coincidence? So am I." Sirius grinned. "You can come and sit with me and my friends, if you'd like."
"Thanks again. I'm afraid I don't know many other witches or wizards my own age."
"Where're you from, then?"
"London. I live on Charing Cross road, just across the street from the Leaky Cauldron."
"I'm in London, too. Up on Grimmauld Place. Here's where we're sitting." He indicated a seating compartment in which two other boys sat by the window, across from each other.
"Julia, these are my friends. James Potter," he pointed to a boy with short, wild black hair, "and Remus Lupin," he indicated the boy across from James. He was dressed somewhat conservatively, and had slightly shaggy hair that kept falling across his face as he put away the book he'd been reading.
"This is that girl you jumped off the train to go help? Nice catch, Sirius." James grinned broadly at his friend. Sirius shot James a death glare and elbowed him into silence.
"What house you going for, Harris?" Remus asked causually.
"Oh, I think I should like to be in Gryffindor."
"Good choice," James said. Remus picked his book back up and continued reading. Julia looked at the book with interest.
"Is that 'The Once and Future King' you're reading?"
"Yeah, what of it?"
"Well, it's brilliant, isn't it? Are you reading it for the first time?" she asked curiously.
"Er, no. This is about the third time I've gone through it. Into Lancelot and Guenevere, are you?" Remus asked skeptically.
"Oh no. I can't stand them. They were so stupid. I have no sympathy for cheaters of any sort. Personally I've always liked Merlin."
"Looks like you've finally found a kindred spirit, Remus," Sirius said, grinning. He added, "Julia's from London. She lives across from the Leaky Cauldron."
"Is that so? So how come I haven't seen you around?" James asked.
"Er..."
"There something you're not telling us Harris?" Remus inquired.
"No! Of course not. My mother doesn't let me go into the bar very often."
"Sounds to me like she's a tad overprotective," Sirius put in.
"You've no idea. I almost missed the train because she was telling me to write her every three weeks. She and Dad'll probably go insane if they get one even a day late." There was a knock on the glass wall of the compartment.
"Anything off the trolley?" a chubby witch with gray hair stood behind a large cart laden with food. Everyone reached into their pockets for money.
"Er, I'll have one of those," Julia indicated a cellophane-wrapped snack labeled "Cauldron Cake". She dug through her pocket and took out two small bronze coins, and paid the witch. Julia tore into her purchase as her companions bought things off the cart. She was starving, and the cake was delicious. It was spicy and sweet, covered in sugary black frosting.
Julia watched as her new friends all ate their food and hoped that nobody had figured out her secret. She didn't think her cover had been too good. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to find out the real reason that James had never seen her in the Leaky Cauldron, or why she didn't know too many witches or wizards her own age. Julia was muggle-born, and she had no idea how that sort of thing would be received with her schoolmates. She was sure that it made you at least a little less favorable than if you'd been born into a wizarding family. Ever since she'd convinced her mother to let her go to Hogwarts, Julia had been reading up on everything having to do with wizards. She was not about to go to school without some sort of prior knowledge of the place she was bout to spend seven years in.
A sputter cut through the seating compartment which, up until that point, had been silent.
"Ugh!"
"Bad bean, James?" Remus asked, amused. James nodded, his face twisted in disgust.
"Raw liver," he said. He looked as though he might vomit. Julia was confused for a moment, until she realized what James had been eating. Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. She'd seen some in a shop window in Diagon Alley when she'd gone to get her school supplies.
"Bad luck, mate," Sirius laughed, "So I take it that means you're done with those?" James nodded and handed the box to his friend. Sirius selected one, and held the box out to Julia. "Want one?"
"Sure. Thanks." she looked through the box, searching for one that looked like it might be less offensive. She decided on a brown one that looked like it might be caramel.
"Well? What sort is it?" Remus watched her chew.
"It's...It's toast. Wow! It tastes just like it, too!" Julia said, amazed.
"Of course it does. What do you expect?" James asked. It was then that Julia realized she had made another mistake. She bit her tongue, and decided to change the subject.
"Hadn't we better change into our uniforms? We can't be far from the school by now."
"Yeah, yeah I suppose we'd better." Everyone got into their suitcases and pulled out the black robes, shirt and tie that were the required uniform of the school, then left to go change in the bathrooms.