Chapter Three: Hogwarts Express

The four weeks until Hogwarts passed without event. The same boring things at the same boring times. She busied herself with making plans for jokes and joke potions and a few spells for practical jokes and how to use them all. She couldn't wait to use them on someone, and she had a certain blonde-haired boy in mind.

Finally the day arrived, and she woke up early to get ready to go. She made breakfast and ate some food, but couldn't focus on eating, she was so excited. She went over her lists again and again, making sure that she had everything. She was just going over it for the 5th time, muttering something about "those blasted books" when she heard her father from downstairs.

Severus: "Come on, then. Time to go!"

Senda: "Alright...be down in a sec."

Severus: "Hurry up. You know I hate being late."

Senda: "I know, I know. Coming."

Senda sighed. Yes, she knew he loathed being late, he loathed everyone who was late, and she knew better then to keep him waiting. So she hurried down the stairs to her waiting father and left with him.

Later, at King's Cross

They arrived at ten til 10:00 and Severus had given Senda a lecture on what to do on the train and what not to do. As always she had listened and nodded and agreed to do as he said. By the time she got to the platform, the train was only four minutes from leaving. She put her things in the back of the train, where everyone else's stuff was, and went to find a seat.

As she was going into the train she saw a plump, red-headed woman fussing over four red-headed children of different ages,

two of whom looked exactly alike. Twins, no doubt. She caught some of what they were saying as she passed.

Red-headed twin #1: "Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

Red-headed twin #2: "Great idea though, thanks, Mom."

Plump red-headed woman: "It's not funny. And look after Ron."

The woman was looking at her second to youngest child, a boy who happened to look around Senda's age, whom she guessed must be Ron. The youngest of them was a young girl who looked just a year younger the Ron. Senda laughed to herself. Maybe she had found the perfect partners in pulling practical jokes on people. Or the perfect enemies in pulling practical jokes on each other. Finally she got on the train.

Everyone was full, and nobody would let her in. Finally, with only a few seconds before the train left, she happened across the black-haired boy from Diagon Alley and the red-headed boy named Ron.

Ron: "Mind if I sit here? Everyone else is full."

Black-haired boy: "No, go ahead."

Senda worked up the courage to ask if she could sit with them and walked all the way into the compartment.

Senda: "Hey...I remember you. We met at Diagon Alley. Um, may I sit with you two?" smiles

Black-haired boy: "Yeah, I remember you. Sure you can. Come in."

Senda smiled weakly as she sat down opposite the black-haired boy, next to Ron. But no sooner had she sat then the two red-headed twins opened the compartment door.

Red-headed Twin #1: "Hey, Ron. Listen, we're going back down the middle of the train-- Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

Senda looked at the two quizzically, and heard Ron mumble a "Right".

Red-headed Twin #2: "Harry, did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. And you are?"

Fred was looking at Senda. Fred and George had been to Hogwarts, she could tell, and were going back. Should she risk getting picked on because she was Snape's daughter? Time to find out if they will, she thought.

Senda: "Veronica Snape. But please call me Senda. I hate being called Veronica."

George: "Snape? Are you Professor Snape's daughter?"

Senda: "Yes, I am."

Fred: "Ah. Well, nice to meet you. Hope you're not as creepy as your father. See you later, then."

Senda noticed the way they had looked at each other. They were planing something, she was sure. Would she regret saying who she was? Most likely, but it couldn't be helped.

Ron: "Are you really Harry Potter?"

Senda knew the name Harry Potter. She was shocked as Harry nodded. She couldn't imagine being friends with Harry Potter, but her train of thought was thrown off course as Ron talked some more.

Ron: "Oh -- well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes. And have you really got -- you know..."

Senda laughed to herself at Ron's stammering, but as Ron pointed to Harry's forehead and Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightening scar, Senda was beside herself.

Senda: "Wicked!"

Ron: "So that's where You-Know-Who --?"

Harry: "Yes, but I can't remember it."

Ron and Senda: "Nothing?"

Ron and Senda looked at each other for a second. It was weird that they had said the same thing at the same time, but weirder things had been know to happen. They looked back at Harry as he answered.

Harry: "Well-- I don't remember much. Only a green light. A lot of green light."

Senda wanted to know more, but knew she could do nothing about it. All three soon talked about their families and knowing magic, and Senda was interested to know that Harry lived with Muggles, but other then that, it was boring, at least to her.

She added her comments here and there and when Ron started talking about a lot to live up to, she couldn't help agreeing and said so. Soon the talk turned to getting new things and Senda commented about spending all her money on school stuff because her father would not help her pay for it unless she had no money whatsoever. This was her version of cheering Ron up, which was not very good, but it was her best, as she didn't have experience cheering people up. Harry tried his best by telling of his horrid life with the Dursley's and having to wear Dudley's clothes and not getting any money or birthday presents.

Harry: "...and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldermort--"

Both Senda and Ron gasped. Senda was impressed that Harry could say You-Know-Who's name, but didn't say so.

Ron: "You said You-Know-Who's name! I'd have thought you, of all people--"

Harry: "I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name. I just knew she shouldn't. See what I mean? I have loads to learn...I bet. I bet I'm the worst in the class."

Senda: "I don't think you will be. A lot of people who come from Muggle families learn fast."

The talk died and everyone was quite. Senda hadn't had time to be nervous about going to Hogwarts, but now she was. Lots of thoughts raced through her mind as the train brought them all closer to Hogwarts. Ron had shown his rat Scabbers to Harry and Senda before the talk died, and she liked it, but she was so bored. She got out a bag that she had taken with her onto the train and got a book from it. It was an older book with no visible title, purple and just a little bit thicker then normal books. It was her diary, and she got out a quill and started writing. Soon she stopped and put everything back. Still no one was talking, so she got out another book, again one with no visible title, and began reading it. The book looked old and well read. It was black and thin. It was her mother's poem book, which she had read many times.

Senda read until around half past twelve, when a lady pushing a trolley came by.

Trolley Lady: "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Senda was hungry, only having had a light breakfast, but she muttered a "No, thanks" and tried to go back to reading. Ron muttered something about having sandwiches. Harry, however, got some of everything, paid the lady, and she left.

Harry brought everything into the compartment and dumped it in the only empty seat. Senda hadn't brought anything to eat, so she sighed and went back to reading.

Ron got out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. Inside were four sandwiches. Corned beef, which Ron didn't like, as it turned out. Harry offered to swipe Ron for a pastry, but Ron said no. Harry tired again, this time offering some to Senda as well.

Senda didn't want to at first, but seeing Ron take some, so did she.

Soon they were eating their way through the food, and then Harry came across a Chocolate Frog.

Harry: "They're not really chocolate frogs, are they?"

Ron: "No. But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."

Harry: "What?"

Ron: "Oh, of course, you wouldn't know-- Chocolate Frogs have cards inside them, you know, to collect -- famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."

Senda: "I don't have any cards. I don't collect stuff. Learned my lesson about that long ago. Takes too much money and stuff."

Harry got a Dumbledore card. He gave Ron a Chocolate Frog and he got Morgana. They all talked about the cards and collecting them, and Harry said pictures stayed still in Muggle pictures. Senda thought it weird, but she didn't know much about Muggles.

Harry, Ron and Senda ate the rest of the Chocolate Frogs and the cards went to Harry. Senda was enjoying this change of company and her books were forgotten. They talked some more, then Harry opened a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

Senda: "I'd mind which ones I eat of those if I were you."

Ron: "You want to be careful with those. When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor."

Senda: "Yeah. They have the normal flavors, like chocolate and peppermint, but they have other flavors like earwax, liver, spinach and so on. I got a vomit-flavored one once. It was awful. Since then, I haven't had any."

Harry, Ron and Senda ate the beans. it was fun to watch the other's face when they got a nasty one. Senda was loathe to try one, but egged on by Harry and Ron, she ate it. It was a chocolate-flavored one and this encouraged Senda to eat more. So she did, and it was fun. After a bit, there was a knock on their compartment door, and a boy came in, looking tearful.

Boy: "Sorry, but have you all seen a toad?" all three shake their heads no "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

Harry: "He'll turn up."

Boy: "Yes, well, if you see him..."

The boy left. Senda couldn't help but feel a little sorry, but she ignored it. She had brought Evan with, and she was happy with Evan. Pets meant a lot to her, so she could see why the boy was miserable.

Ron: "Don't know why he's so bothered. If I'd brought a toad, I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."

Senda: "I happen to like toads. Wouldn't bring one to Hogwarts, but I can see why he's sad. I brought my white owl, Evanescence, with me, so I'm happy with him. Evan for short. I left my cat Shadow with a neighbor. I hate to leave her, but I couldn't bring two animals here."

Ron and Harry commented on this, and Ron complained about how boring Scabbers was. He was about to try and turn Scabbers yellow when the toad-less boy came back. This time, however, the boy had a girl with him, and the girl was wearing her robes.

Girl: "Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one."

The girl had a busy voice and a lot of brown, bushy hair. Senda got the impression that the girl was a know-it-all.

Senda: "We've already told Neville that we haven't seen his toad. Keep looking."

Girl: "Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

Senda got the impression that the girl was a know-it-all, alright. She didn't really like her. Ron looked taken aback and Senda looked uneasy.

Ron: "Er- alright. Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

Somehow, Senda wasn't at all surprised when Ron's spell had no effect.

Girl: "Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice, and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but--"

Senda ignored it after a few seconds. It was dull to listen to the girl talk, so Senda toned it out. After a few more seconds of going on, the girl said that her name was Hermione Granger and Hermione asked what their names were.

Ron: "I'm Ron Weasley."

Senda: "Veronica Snape, but call me Senda."

Harry: "Harry Potter."

Hermione went on about Harry and what books he was in and she asked about the houses and which one they thought they were going to be sorted into. Hermione also told them they should change into their robes, as they'd be to Hogwarts soon. Senda was bored by the time Hermione left. She changed into her robes, yelling and telling Harry and Ron to look away, and soon they arrived at Hogwarts. Senda was happy to be there, and as the train came to a stop, Senda couldn't wait to see what Hogwarts was like, and she couldn't wait to have some fun.