Chpt 3 .
I stuffed my trunk into the trunk of the car ,and walked around to get in .
As I sat down , guess who I noticed sitting there beside me ?
Yup, you guessed it , Joe .
Of all the people ! I thought I got stuck with HIM to ride with ! I can not believe this !
Mabye if I ignore him , he won't notice me .
Yah. Right , and pigs'll fly !
"Well, well, well, " he said , sliding closer to me
"If it isn't my biggest fan ! You planned this , didn't you Zipporah ? You wanted me all to yourself !" He said smugly ,I could hear the smile in his voice
I went to turn around so I could give him a piece of my mind . I was going to tell him that he could shove his egotistical head up his fat ,ugly butt so the rest of us wouldn't have to go through the pain of looking at it
Just turning around was a big mistake.
" That's what I thought !" He smirked , fixing me with his deep brown eyes .
All the sudden he moved back to his side and leaned back , closing his eyes.
"Why don't you just admit it Zipphora !You like me ." He said
This made me really mad and , I decided it was best if I didn't answer him
He didn't say anything else for a long time , and when I finally got the courage to glance at him , he was fast asleep .
I breathed a long sigh of relief and leaned my head against the cool glass .
We pulled into the station about an hour later . Thank heavens that Joe had not said another word to me .
I really hate him .
I got out of the car and went around to get my trunks . I saw a lot of kids I knew from the orphanage standing about in inconspicuous groups .
Actually , if you think about it , it's a miracle that not one of these muggles standing around have ever seen any of us disappearing into the wall.
I guess it's just one of those things .
I grabbed my stuff out of the trunk and went over to the loose group .
To a innocent bystander , we all looked like complete strangers to one another , all just standing around waiting for our train . I watched as one by one they just kind of …melted through the wall.
Oh my gosh , how am I going to do this …… I worried I'll probably be seen and everyone will be arrested or something!
All to soon it was my turn .
I stepped up , seeming to just merely be examining the bus map over my head .Ok, you can do this Zipporah! I thought Just act natural and walk through ! No ones going to believe it when they see it anyway .
I looked around , amd made sure no one was looking . When the coast was clear , I I just casually leaned my back against the wall and …well , fell through .
"Woah ! " I cried as I kept on falling on the other side , losing my balance . My trunk fell over and Cranberries came unhooked and fell to the ground , flapping around her cage like a mad bird for the second time that day (although I doubt that this was half as traumatic as her great stair adventure).As it hit the ground, my trunk fell open also , and all my stuff went tumbling out onto the pavement .
"Great " I muttered to myself "Now I'm going to be late ,and I'll never make it to Hogwarts !"
My imagination started making up all sorts of worst case scenarios .
Now I'll end up back at the orphange , all by myself ! Mrs. S will make me do all the cleaning and cooking , while she sits in her room with her feet propped up drinking tea and watching the telly, thinking of other ways to torture me ! I thought frantically
She'll make me sleep in the cupboard with all the spider and feed me off of stale bread crusts and dirty water !
"Uhh…excuse me ? " I was startled out of my thoughts by a strange voice .
I glanced up at this girl with long auburn hair and bight green eyes .
"Yes ?" I asked squinting up at her "What do you want ?"
"
Oh! I just noticed that you dropped all your stuff and that the train is leaving in a few minutes ." she explained "And I thought you would like some help !"
Ohh…thank goodness ! Now I won't have to go back to the orphanage ! I thought happily to myself
" Yes ! I would ,thank you so much !" I said as she crouched down to help .
Between the two of us we had it cleaned up in no time and were boarding the train .
The train was very impressive , it was much nicer than I expected , the seats were comfortable and everything was in deep scarlet red . The seats were velvet and the window panes were gilded . We got a car that was practically abandoned .
"So "I said after we had gotten settled in "What's your name?"
"She extended her hand and smiled "My name is Scarlet Moriah Ellmore ! How about you ?"
"Zipporah Cassandra Brookes . " I replied as I shook her hand .
I looked at her , shy all the sudden"Umm. Thanks for helping me . you didn't have to ."
"Well , I wanted to ! It wouldn't have been very kind just to leave you there . It would be bad to miss the train ." she said
"By the way ?" She asked" Can I call you Zip ?"
I liked this girl !
I grinned "Sure !If you really want to !"
She grinned back "So , where are you from ? I'm from Lancaster . "
I felt myself blushing and looked down at the velour seat. I started to pick at a loose thread. " Umm…I'm from London ."
Her eyes grew wide ." Really ! I've never been to London before . I always have wanted to though . Daddy tells me every summer that we'll go , but we never do !" She laughed
" But I guess I can give him a break . He's really busy with work . He works for the Ministry ."
The train whistle blew three times and we were off . I had never been on a train before . It was quite exciting !
"So, what does your dad do ? " she asked me
Wow I thought , this is going to be awkward…..
"Umm… I don't have a dad ." I glanced up at her.
" I'm an orphan ."
Now it was her turn to look down ." Oh..umm..well…I'm sorry …" The poor girl , her face was as red as the seat .
" It's ok, really , that happens a lot !" I lied , even though this was the first time that anyone had ever really asked me .
We sat in rather uncomfortable silence until the snack cart came around .
Scarlet was back to her old self again ! " Oh look Zip ! They have all kinds of candy ! I think I'm going to get Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Jelly Beans! What do you want ? "
"Hmm… I leaned over to the tray , I was SO glad that we were comfortable with each other again . " I'll just have some of those to, I guess.."
"All right . " She handed me a pack
"So " I said as I struggled with my package of Jelly beans . " Tell me about your parents "
"Well….my dads name is Thaddeus Ellmore . He's always worried about me , and work , and well everything ."
"EWWW!! I think I just got a vomit flavored one ! " She spit it out into her hand and tossed it out the window ,making a very funny face .
"Anyway." She continued " My mom's name is Sarah . She's a really nice woman . she doesn't work , but stays at home . You would like her ."
Scarlet kind of glanced over at me sideways . I'm so sick of people feeling sorry for me ! I guess it's a natural reaction if you've always had your parents around , but it still gets very annoying !
" They sound great !" I smiled at her and she seemed to relax a bit .
"Yah they are. " she sighed , " But I definitely need the break from them for a while !"
We both laughed , but inside I was wondering , why if you had such a great thing as parents that you would want to have a "break" from them . I guess it's just one of those things that you wouldn't understand if you didn't have parents .
It was one thing I would never understand .
After a while ,we just stopped talking and sat in comfortable silence .After a while , I found myself drifting of to sleep . ..
~*Dream*~
I'm laying in my bedroom back at Hilltop feeling content . I think I'll stay here foever…..all the sudden, my door bangs open and a blast of intense heat hits my face .
I hadn't noticed it but smoke has been creeping under my door the past few minutes . The weird thing about it is though , that there are no flames or anything ,and it is perfectly silent. Theres just Kyle standing outside my door watching me with that expression that he always wears on his face .
"Kyle ! Do you want to come in and play Gobstones with me ?" I ask him. He looks like he wants to come in , but he's not moving .
" Fine !be that way ! " I tease him ,"I'll come out there to you !" I try to get up , but it's like I'm paralyzed , I can't move a muscle . Then he gets this look of utter sadness on his face and it breaks my heart.
The, as fast as I can blink , there's fire ! Everywhere in the hallway , but it's like there is a invisible wall separating my room from the hall , because it hasn't crossed the threshold. Then, Kyle's clothes catch on fire and he starts to burn The look of sadness turns to a look of intense pain .
Oh no ! I need to save him ! I'm thiking frantically .
I try to get up , but I'm still paralyzed , and helpless. I even try to turn my head away from the site , but I can't move my head , can't close my eyes . The fire has consumed him , but not burned him. I can barely make out his form through the flames. Suddenly, I am right there in front of him , all I can see is his face . Once again , the expression has been replaced from pain to one of complete calm . The only sound that I've heard so far is him whispering.
"Zipporah…." and then I can't see him anymore , and the flame begins to consume me and I am , yet again rooted to the spot . I feel no pain , though the flames surround me , but I can still hear his voice echoing in my head getting softer and softer : " Zipporah…Zipphorah….Zipphorah….Zipphora….."
End Of Dream ~
"ZIPPHORA!"
"Wha….!" I exclaim as I jerk awake . I'm covered in cold sweat , and I'm so afraid.
"Zipporah , Are you o.k ? I was getting worried about you ! " Scarlet cried looking down at me with concerned eyes .
"Yah….I'm fine now I think ." I mumbled averting my eyes
"Are you sure ? Do you want me to call someone for something to drink ?" She asked .
"No…no …I'm fine , it was only a nightmare !" I assured her , hoping that I sounded more convincing than I felt .
"Your positive ? Well….were almost there ,so just thought I'd wake you up ." She said gazing at me uncertainly .
"All right . Thanks ." I smiled at her and turned toward the window again .
Criminey ! Those bloody nightmares ! I can never get a moments rest from those . I thought as I watched the night scenery flash by . It really was very lovely . Lot's of woods .
This one is one of the worst . I've had it almost every night since the accident at Hilltop . I really don't want to talk about it , but all I will say is that there was, like I said , unexplained accident and I was one of the only ones that survived . I guess it's guilt that gives me these nightmares, even though I try to tell myself that it wasn't my fault and blah..blah..blah, I still feel guilty anyway
Suddenly her reflection popped up next to mine in the window and she exclaimed "Look Zip !It's Hogwarts !"
Now she was bouncing up and down in her seat excitedly .
"Ohhhh… I can't wait !!!! "
"Yah it is really exciting isn't it." I said .
I
t was pretty amazing , It was sitting across a huge lake on a hill . It looked like a castle
The train slowed to a stop .
Scarlet started tugging on my arm "C'mon Zip , lets get our stuff ! We don't' want to miss our carriage !! "
I stood up , wow , it felt good to stretch my legs ! I had been sitting for about 4 hrs.
Scarlet looked like she was about to die of impatience .
"You can stretch on the way , hurry up !! " She complained . She sounded like a whiny two-year old . I think it's an only child thing .
"O.k. , ok I'm coming ! Criminy …" I stopped stretching and followed after her out of the comfortable car and we got off the train .
I started to lag behind her . Man , this girl could really power walk when she put her mind to it !
"Did you say we get to ride in carriages " I asked the back of her head as we hurried through the night . It was beautiful , cool and clear with a million twinkling stars overhead . Not to mention , the air smelled way better than in London .
"Yup ! That's what I've heard" She replied , barely glancing over her shoulder.
I started running and finally caught up with her . "Heard from where ? I thought this was your first year here ? "
"Oh , it is , but I've just heard . I got my sources . she said and winked at me
We were approaching the carriages now and I saw that they were amazing . They looked like something out of a gothic fairytale ! And , they seemed to be pulled by nothing .
I tried to stop her , I had just realized something " Umm…Scarlet , I think we should get our trunks .."
"Oh not to worry . " She said to me as we boarded the carriage . "they take care of those . All we have to do is get on and let it take us to the school !"
She leaned back and closed her eyes . I couldn't though ! I was to excited ! Not to mention , I didn't want to welcome back another nightmare .
I wonder I thought as I watched the country side roll by How she knows about the carriages and all this stuff . Hmmm…. Mabye it's because her dad works at the Minisrty . I wonder what he does ……
I sighed , I'm sure I'll find out in time …. But I still think it's weird ….
The carriage jolted to a stop finally and all my thoughts about Scarlet and her strange family vanished from my head .
I leaned over and shook Scarlet awake .
"Wow " she said " I must have been more tired than I thought ! "
She leaned over and looked out the window " I normally never fall asleep anywhere but in my bedroom . "
"Of course " she continued as we climbed out of the carriage and into the night
"train rides do make you very……wow…"
She stopped all the sudden . I had been looking at her the whole time ,and now I glanced up at the school .I just stopped dead in my tracks and stared .
It was even more amazing up close . It was many stories high and it really did look like a castle , complete with turrets and everything . lights shone in all the windows and from inside there could be heard sounds of laughter and talking . It was quite overwhelming .
" C'mon Zipphora ! Stop gawking and lets go inside " Scarlet started pulling me in the direction of the door .
"Besides , I'm starving ! Aren't you ?"
"Mmm-hmm…" I nodded vaguely , I was still trying to take all of it in
We went through the huge doors and into a gigantic room . It had a staircase going up the center . There were suits of armor in the corners and hanging on the walls were portraits of people . But the weird thing was , the people in the pictures were moving about from frame to frame . Some were even standing in groups talking to each other , drinking punch pr eating . It was weird at first , but it was The first of the many new things that I experienced at Hogwarts .
Author's note- Sorry it took me a while to update , but I'll try to get my next chapter downloaded soon . Anywayz, I know, I know….. I REALLY stink at my chapter names , but I try hard ! LOL So yah , if your reading this PLEASE REVIEW !!!!!!!!!!!!! I would appreciate any comments or suggestions ! Thanx ~