Chapter three – The ride to Hogwarts
The next morning, September the first, Lily and Esther, together with Mr and Mrs Madison made their way down to King's Cross. Lily seemed to have gotten over most of the pain from her parents' death and was in a much better mood. She was looking forward to return to Hogwarts. At least she could keep herself occupied in her studies, instead of thinking of her parents all the time.
They went through the barrier between platforms nine and ten to enter platform nine and three-quarters. Even after six years, the barrier and platform still ceased to amaze Lily.
"Lily! Esther! Over here!"
Over the heads of the many Hogwarts students, Lily and Esther managed to spot the brunette and blonde a few meters away. Ashlee and Fern walked excitedly towards them and gave them each a friendly hug.
"How are you, Lily?" Ashlee asked her. Lily could feel all five concerned pairs of eyes staring at her. Nervously, she nodded her head slightly, indicating that she was fine.
"Well," Mrs Madison started, sensing Lily's nervousness, "Have a good year, you four!" At that, she gave her only daughter as well as her best friend a goodbye hug. Mr Madison came forward and gave Esther one too and Lily another warming smile. After the goodbyes, the four pretty girls passed through the crowd to find an empty compartment
Ashlee, the only blonde, had baby blue eyes and stood at the height of 5'5". Her blonde hair was long, till the middle of her back. Her nickname was Ash and she was from a pure-blooded family. She was effortlessly smart. Thus, she need not study for her exams.
Fern was the shortest among the four. Standing at the height of 5'2", she made up the remaining height by being the spunkiest. She had grey eyes with specks of blue in them and brown hair that came up to her shoulders. She was also the chaser in the Gryffindor team.
Esther had the distinction of being the prettiest girl in school. She was a height of 5'3" and had brown hair with blue eyes. Her silky brown hair came all the way down to the bottom of her back in layers. She was the most up- to-date girl among them.
Last but not least, Lily. She was very pretty with think dark red hair and green eyes and a height of 5'3. She was the smartest among them and was also the teachers' favourite except for Professor Burke, the head of Slytherin. She was good at everything with the exception of flying. Besides all these, she was also a prefect as well as head girl that year.
Most of the compartments were occupied. It was only till the last compartment that they managed to get an empty one. Exhausted, the four girls collapsed on their seats.
"What about our trunks?" asked Fern tiredly.
"Well, I guess we have some work to do. Come on." Esther said, getting up.
After five minutes of heaving and shoving their own trunks towards the train, the girls had no energy left and ended up sitting on their trunks instead.
"I'm too tired to push anymore." Ashlee said, pushing her blonde hair out of her face.
"Who do we have here?" A deep manly voice asked.
The four girls turned around to see four boys who called themselves The Marauders standing behind them. James Potter, their leader was grinning at Lily and messing up his hair as usual.
James Potter was one of the hottest guys in school. He had messy black hair and spectacles. Though his hair was already messy, he had a habit of drawing his hand through his hair all the time to make it messier than ever which causes all the other girls except the four of them to drool at him. He stood at a height of 6'3" and was the Gryffindor's team captain that year as well as head boy.
Sirius was the hottest guy in school. He had black hair on the long side and a charming smile as well as a height of 6'4". He and James were best friends and the school pranksters, a title that often land them in detention. He played in the team too as a keeper.
Remus Lupin was the other Marauder. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. He was good looking and had a height of 6'3". He was the bookworm of the group and was the prefect as well. He and Lily got along as they were both prefects and often had duties together.
Peter Pettigrew was the shortest at the height of 5'8" with a round face and squinting water blue eyes. He was popular only because he hung out with the Marauders.
"The four prettiest girls in school, that's who." Sirius replied. "Hey ladies! Need some help?" He asked, charming them with a smile.
The four girls giggled and gladly got up let the four, actually three, carry their trunks up the steps and into the compartment.
"All done!" James said in satisfactory, then asked "Do you girls mind that we share a compartment? There doesn't seem to be anymore empty ones."
Lily rolled her and was about to say no when Fern opened her mouth and said "YES!" a little too enthusiastically.
"What are you doing?!" Lily hissed at Fern as the four boys occupied their compartment.
"I was just trying to get the three hottest boys in school to sit with us! Come on Lily! I know you don't really like Potter much but just give him a chance."
The signal for the train to leave sounded, leaving Lily with no choice but to agree. "Fine. But I'm not talking to Potter." At that, she entered the compartment and sat in one of the empty spaces which was beside James as the other seat was beside Sirius and Lily knew that Fern has a huge crush on him.
"So, how was your summer?" James asked Lily goodheartedly.
Lily's eyes welled up at the thought of summer and turned her head around to face the window so as to avoid the others seeing. But she was not fast enough for James as he grabbed her arm.
"What's wrong? Was it something I said?" James asked with a note of panic as well as concern in his voice.
"Nothing's wrong. Just leave me alone." Lily snapped at him and pulled her arm away.
"If that's what you want." James replied dejectedly. He leaned back and closed his eyes, trying to push the thoughts of Lily out of his head.
After about ten minutes, one of the Gryffindor prefects from sixth year came flying into the compartment, looking for James and Lily for the prefect's meeting. Lily got up quickly, reprimanding herself for forgetting and moved towards the door when it snapped.
"Potter?! Head boy?!" She exclaimed, surprised. "Isn't Remus supposed to be the head boy this year?"
"That's too bad because Dumbledore has chosen me instead." James said messing up his hair again as he got past Lily and out of the compartment, obviously still mad at the way Lily was treating him.
Lily just stood there in shock and stared at the others inside the compartment before Ashlee snapped her fingers at her face and she came out of her trance, finding everyone looking at her curiously.
"Oh, right. The meeting." At that, she rushed out of the compartment after James, hoping with all her heart that the year wasn't going to be a disaster.
The next morning, September the first, Lily and Esther, together with Mr and Mrs Madison made their way down to King's Cross. Lily seemed to have gotten over most of the pain from her parents' death and was in a much better mood. She was looking forward to return to Hogwarts. At least she could keep herself occupied in her studies, instead of thinking of her parents all the time.
They went through the barrier between platforms nine and ten to enter platform nine and three-quarters. Even after six years, the barrier and platform still ceased to amaze Lily.
"Lily! Esther! Over here!"
Over the heads of the many Hogwarts students, Lily and Esther managed to spot the brunette and blonde a few meters away. Ashlee and Fern walked excitedly towards them and gave them each a friendly hug.
"How are you, Lily?" Ashlee asked her. Lily could feel all five concerned pairs of eyes staring at her. Nervously, she nodded her head slightly, indicating that she was fine.
"Well," Mrs Madison started, sensing Lily's nervousness, "Have a good year, you four!" At that, she gave her only daughter as well as her best friend a goodbye hug. Mr Madison came forward and gave Esther one too and Lily another warming smile. After the goodbyes, the four pretty girls passed through the crowd to find an empty compartment
Ashlee, the only blonde, had baby blue eyes and stood at the height of 5'5". Her blonde hair was long, till the middle of her back. Her nickname was Ash and she was from a pure-blooded family. She was effortlessly smart. Thus, she need not study for her exams.
Fern was the shortest among the four. Standing at the height of 5'2", she made up the remaining height by being the spunkiest. She had grey eyes with specks of blue in them and brown hair that came up to her shoulders. She was also the chaser in the Gryffindor team.
Esther had the distinction of being the prettiest girl in school. She was a height of 5'3" and had brown hair with blue eyes. Her silky brown hair came all the way down to the bottom of her back in layers. She was the most up- to-date girl among them.
Last but not least, Lily. She was very pretty with think dark red hair and green eyes and a height of 5'3. She was the smartest among them and was also the teachers' favourite except for Professor Burke, the head of Slytherin. She was good at everything with the exception of flying. Besides all these, she was also a prefect as well as head girl that year.
Most of the compartments were occupied. It was only till the last compartment that they managed to get an empty one. Exhausted, the four girls collapsed on their seats.
"What about our trunks?" asked Fern tiredly.
"Well, I guess we have some work to do. Come on." Esther said, getting up.
After five minutes of heaving and shoving their own trunks towards the train, the girls had no energy left and ended up sitting on their trunks instead.
"I'm too tired to push anymore." Ashlee said, pushing her blonde hair out of her face.
"Who do we have here?" A deep manly voice asked.
The four girls turned around to see four boys who called themselves The Marauders standing behind them. James Potter, their leader was grinning at Lily and messing up his hair as usual.
James Potter was one of the hottest guys in school. He had messy black hair and spectacles. Though his hair was already messy, he had a habit of drawing his hand through his hair all the time to make it messier than ever which causes all the other girls except the four of them to drool at him. He stood at a height of 6'3" and was the Gryffindor's team captain that year as well as head boy.
Sirius was the hottest guy in school. He had black hair on the long side and a charming smile as well as a height of 6'4". He and James were best friends and the school pranksters, a title that often land them in detention. He played in the team too as a keeper.
Remus Lupin was the other Marauder. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. He was good looking and had a height of 6'3". He was the bookworm of the group and was the prefect as well. He and Lily got along as they were both prefects and often had duties together.
Peter Pettigrew was the shortest at the height of 5'8" with a round face and squinting water blue eyes. He was popular only because he hung out with the Marauders.
"The four prettiest girls in school, that's who." Sirius replied. "Hey ladies! Need some help?" He asked, charming them with a smile.
The four girls giggled and gladly got up let the four, actually three, carry their trunks up the steps and into the compartment.
"All done!" James said in satisfactory, then asked "Do you girls mind that we share a compartment? There doesn't seem to be anymore empty ones."
Lily rolled her and was about to say no when Fern opened her mouth and said "YES!" a little too enthusiastically.
"What are you doing?!" Lily hissed at Fern as the four boys occupied their compartment.
"I was just trying to get the three hottest boys in school to sit with us! Come on Lily! I know you don't really like Potter much but just give him a chance."
The signal for the train to leave sounded, leaving Lily with no choice but to agree. "Fine. But I'm not talking to Potter." At that, she entered the compartment and sat in one of the empty spaces which was beside James as the other seat was beside Sirius and Lily knew that Fern has a huge crush on him.
"So, how was your summer?" James asked Lily goodheartedly.
Lily's eyes welled up at the thought of summer and turned her head around to face the window so as to avoid the others seeing. But she was not fast enough for James as he grabbed her arm.
"What's wrong? Was it something I said?" James asked with a note of panic as well as concern in his voice.
"Nothing's wrong. Just leave me alone." Lily snapped at him and pulled her arm away.
"If that's what you want." James replied dejectedly. He leaned back and closed his eyes, trying to push the thoughts of Lily out of his head.
After about ten minutes, one of the Gryffindor prefects from sixth year came flying into the compartment, looking for James and Lily for the prefect's meeting. Lily got up quickly, reprimanding herself for forgetting and moved towards the door when it snapped.
"Potter?! Head boy?!" She exclaimed, surprised. "Isn't Remus supposed to be the head boy this year?"
"That's too bad because Dumbledore has chosen me instead." James said messing up his hair again as he got past Lily and out of the compartment, obviously still mad at the way Lily was treating him.
Lily just stood there in shock and stared at the others inside the compartment before Ashlee snapped her fingers at her face and she came out of her trance, finding everyone looking at her curiously.
"Oh, right. The meeting." At that, she rushed out of the compartment after James, hoping with all her heart that the year wasn't going to be a disaster.