"Izzie, I don't know about this whole running through a wall thing." said Lily Evans glancing suspiciously at the brick wall she was supposedly going to pass through to get to the train. It was September 1st and Lily was standing with Izzie in front what was supposed to be Platform 9 and 3/4.
"Lily! Don't worry! I've done it dozens of times with Matt! Besides you just saw both of our parents do it!" replied Izzie checking to see that everything was secure on her trolley. Lily gave an exasperated sigh and placed her toucan, Raleigh, onto her trolley.
"Fine! I'll go through it, but if I get knocked out from hitting a SOLID wall then tell my parents that I give up on this magic stuff." Lily casually leaned against the barrier as she had seen Izzie's father do. Much to her surprise she fell right through the wall and landed with a thud on the ground. Mouth slightly open, she glanced up and saw a sign that said Hogwarts Express. Lily looked to her left and saw a scarlet steam engine with smoke billowing out of its top. Woah! thought Lily staring at the people milling about the platform. Since Lily was busy examining her surroundings she didn't notice Izzie and her trolley come careening through the barrier until the were both on top of her.
"Oh gosh! Lily, I'm so sorry! I couldn't stop! Are you alright?" Izzie was kneeling next to the dazed redhead apologizing profusely. Lily's eyes took in the trunks, bird cages, and mess around her and she began to laugh.
"I'm fine!" she managed to get out between fits.
"Wow! That was so graceful!" said James Potter leaning down to lend Lily a hand. He grinned at her and began to load her things onto the train.
"I know! If I didn't know that you had to be sane to join, I would recommend you two for ballet!" added Sirius, packing Izzie's things on the train while Remus helped her up. Peter grabbed the girls' bird cages and brought them into a compartment.
"Where did you guys come from?" asked Lily once she had regained her breath.
"Well you see Lillikins, when two people love each other very much a duck brings them a baby! My parents got lucky enough to have me!" said Sirius, finishing off with a proud grin. Lily began to laugh at his statement, though not for the reasons he thought she was laughing.
"Sirius, muggles tell their children that babies come from storks, not ducks!" Lily was now clutching at a cramp in her side that had formed from laughing for too long.
"What I think Sirius meant to say was that we arrived early to get a good compartment to ourselves." said Remus glancing exasperatedly at his friend. "We were just about to head back into the muggle part of the station to wait for you to arrive in case you needed help."
"Well thanks guys, but the Winsteads already picked us up and brought us through." Lily replied, grateful that she had already met people who were so kind.
Looking about her Lily saw children of all ages and parents to match. Standing off to the side by herself was a girl dressed in a fur cloak with light blonde hair tucked under a fur cap. She was standing with her back to Lily and the Marauders but Lily could see that she was holding a piece of parchment with a map and numbered sentences on it. The girl glanced down at the parchment then looked up and ran onto the train.
"Poor girl," Peter's words made Lily realize that the rest of her friends has been looking at the fur clad girl as well. "I know I'd be terrified if I had to come to the station with only a map to tell me where to go and what to do. Nobody to see her off, she must be feeling pretty lonely."
"I'm sure she'll find someone on the train." said Sirius in an offhand way. Lily glanced at him and saw that he was staring in the opposite direction. Everyone followed Sirius's gaze and saw it resting upon a boy with blonde hair and a cold look on his face. What Lily assumed to be his mother was wiping tears from her eyes while his father shoveled galleons upon galleons into the pouch he was holding.
"What do you say we get on the train?" said James noticing the boy. Rounds of 'good idea' and 'let's hurry' came from Lily's friends. Everyone split off to their respective families and after many hugs, kisses, and in James and Sirius's case 'We better not hear that you've been wrecking havoc!' the six boarded the train and piled into a compartment near the front.
After they had all settled in and the train started chugging along Lily began to interrogate the other five about their Hogwarts knowledge.
"Well you see," said James "there are four houses. Each has its own qualities. For instance, all Slytherin are evil." Everybody laughed at this statement, though Lily worried if there was any chance of her being placed in Slytherin. "No no, I' just joking around. Slytherin are known for their slyness and cunning. Ravenclaw are pretty much the brainiacs and while Hufflepuffs are a bit slower, they are usually good at heart. Then there's Gryffindor, known for bravery and determination. Every person in the Potter line has been in Gryffindor."
"Sounds like you've got something to live up to." said Lily.
"You could say that, its more or less that my family is a bunch of generic clones." replied James with a grin. Lily and the others laughed again. Soon they began telling Lily about the rest of the magical world ('the pictures move?!') and she was reeling in all the new information. They were so caught up in their talking that they didn't even hear the compartment door slide open. It wasn't until Lily saw a head of blonde hair turning around to exit into the hallway that she looked up.
"Hey! Wait!" she called to the figure. The girl paused and then turned around.
"Yes?" her voice was coated in a Swiss accent and her eyes were a startling shade of blue. Everyone else turned their heads and stared at the newcomer.
"You're the girl with the map!" said Peter excitedly, recognizing her fur coat.
"Oh yeah!" said Izzie, realization dawning on her face. "Are you looking for somewhere to sit?"
"Well I wouldn't want to be a bother." said the girl slowly, already turning back around to leave.
"It wouldn't be a bother! We'd love to have you sit with us!" Remus was smiling in a gentle and friendly way. The girl looked at each smiling face and then smiled back shyly.
"Alright, I was feeling kind of lost." She sat down next to Lily and took off her hat to reveal very shiny waves of blonde that cascaded down to the middle of her back.
"Lost you are no longer!" said Sirius. "So then, what's your name?"
"My name is Amathea Ludwegean." said the girl unbuttoning her thick cloak.
"Amathea, its quirky! I like it!" said Izzie with a grin. "Well my name's Isadora and I like to be called Izzie. This is Lily Evans, that's Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. The boys call themselves the Marauders." said Izzie pointing to each person in turn. "So where do you come from to have such a cool accent?"
At this question Amathea's fair skinned cheeks turned a shade darker than their normal soft pink.
"My family lives on the Zugspitze Mountain on the Swiss border south of Germany. We own a ski resort there."
"My family went skiing there once!" said James, "We stayed at Nueschweinstein! It was such a gorgeous castle."
"I live in Nueschweinstein! It's belonged to my family for centuries!" replied Amathea, happy to be able to relate to someone.
"Hold on a second, isn't Nueschweinstein a castle that the Crazy King Ludwig the fourteenth built?" asked Izzie, puzzled by the situation.
"Yes, Ludwig was my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great- great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. A few generations after he died the family altered the name in order to keep muggles from tracking us as descendants and disturbing the castle." Amathea answered with promptness, and Lily figured she was asked about her home frequently.
"That's a lot of greats." said Lily. "I think the farthest back my family tree goes is into the 6th generation or so."
"You're kidding me!" said Sirius with a look of shock. "My family name traces back to the early middle ages!"
"Mine too." said James.
"My family as well." added Izzie.
"Oh, well my family was never very prominent or anything..." Lily trailed off.
"Its ok Lily," said Remus catching the dejected tone in Lily's voice, "Most muggle families don't place much importance on a family name anyways. In the wizarding world who you come from can mean a lot."
"You're a muggle born?" asked Amathea with a look of slight shock on her face.
"Yes, why?" Lily was afraid that Amathea might say that there was something wrong with muggle-borns.
"Do you know the Disney castle?" the Swiss girl asked with an excited look on her face.
"Of course, every kid does. Its in the magic kingdom and they show it at the beginning of every Disney movie. What about it?" Lily responded a bit thrown for a loop.
"Nueschweinstein is the castle which the Disney castle is based off of! Muggle artists and designers were swarming the house for weeks when it was being sketched. There were quite a few memory modifications that were necessary." Amathea seemed to be under the impression that Lily knew what a memory modification was and Lily wasn't about to ask.
"That's really neat, Amathea. Do you have any siblings who have gone to Hogwarts?" asked Peter.
"No, I am the only Ludwegean descendant, but enough about me! I want to know all about you people!" answered Amathea, her blue eyes sparkling.
The rest of the train ride was spent talking and getting to know the new girl who turned out to be very sweet and very easy to get along with. The group lost track of time and were only brought back to reality when they felt the train begin to slow down.
"Oh no! We have to change into our school robes! Hurry, I don't think there is much time left before we get to Hogwarts!" said Izzie, closing the door behind the boys who had gone to wait outside while the girls changed. Lily was surprised to see that when Amathea pulled on her school robes there was already a golden coat of arms sewn onto the black material.
"Do you already know what house you are in?" asked Lily gesturing to the crest.
"No," said Amathea with a light laugh, "though it would save me a lot of nervousness. That is my family's coat of arms, all my clothes are embroidered with it. In Switzerland it is customary for well known families to always bear a coat of arms or family crest. It acts as an identification. For example, if I were to show up at a restaurant I would show the owner my family's crest and I would be seated at the table my family always has reserved. It makes things less of a hassle."
"Wow, you really get the VIP!" said Lily, shocked to say the least.
"Yes, I suppose you could say that." Amathea said pulling her hair into a low messy bun.
"Oy! Girls! We'd like to get changed sometime before 7th year!" shouted Sirius from the hallway. Lily, Izzie, and Amathea laughed and slid open the compartment door only to find James, Remus and Peter pulling on their robes. James grinned at the girls as he placed his glasses back on and said
"There was nobody in the hall and we figured we should just change here. Sirius, however, felt that it would be too much of a predicament if someone were to glimpse him in the process of taking of his clothing."
"Some people wouldn't be able to handle it!" cried Sirius in his defense. The girls just laughed and moved aside to allow him to have the compartment to himself.
"Was Sirius really worried about being seen?" asked Amathea.
"Naw, Sirius couldn't care less if people saw him in the nude. We made him keep watch for us." replied Remus.
"I'm ready for my debut!" called Sirius. Izzie rolled her eyes and slid the door back open. Just as Lily was walking through the doorway the train ground to a halt giving her a little lurch. Had Sirius's leg not been tangled about her ankles she probably wouldn't have fallen back onto James, ripping her robes on the door latch on her descent.
"Lily! Are you ok?" asked James lowering the redhead in his arms down to the floor. Lily began to perch herself up on her elbows while Peter jumped up to fetch Lily's wand, which she had dropped in her fall. However Peter had forgotten about the trunks overhead and bumped one with his shoulder by accident sending it hurtling towards Lily's head.
"Yeah, I'm f----" with a loud clunk the wooden trunk made contact with Lily's forehead and she fell limp with unconsciousness. James's eyes widened and he shoved the trunk off of Lily.
"Lily! Lily wake up! Lily!" he began to shout as the others crowded around. He grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and started shaking her motionless body. Panic started to consume his voice. "Lily! Come on! No! Lily!"
"No..." whispered Izzie, "No this can't be happening..."
"Lily! Don't worry! I've done it dozens of times with Matt! Besides you just saw both of our parents do it!" replied Izzie checking to see that everything was secure on her trolley. Lily gave an exasperated sigh and placed her toucan, Raleigh, onto her trolley.
"Fine! I'll go through it, but if I get knocked out from hitting a SOLID wall then tell my parents that I give up on this magic stuff." Lily casually leaned against the barrier as she had seen Izzie's father do. Much to her surprise she fell right through the wall and landed with a thud on the ground. Mouth slightly open, she glanced up and saw a sign that said Hogwarts Express. Lily looked to her left and saw a scarlet steam engine with smoke billowing out of its top. Woah! thought Lily staring at the people milling about the platform. Since Lily was busy examining her surroundings she didn't notice Izzie and her trolley come careening through the barrier until the were both on top of her.
"Oh gosh! Lily, I'm so sorry! I couldn't stop! Are you alright?" Izzie was kneeling next to the dazed redhead apologizing profusely. Lily's eyes took in the trunks, bird cages, and mess around her and she began to laugh.
"I'm fine!" she managed to get out between fits.
"Wow! That was so graceful!" said James Potter leaning down to lend Lily a hand. He grinned at her and began to load her things onto the train.
"I know! If I didn't know that you had to be sane to join, I would recommend you two for ballet!" added Sirius, packing Izzie's things on the train while Remus helped her up. Peter grabbed the girls' bird cages and brought them into a compartment.
"Where did you guys come from?" asked Lily once she had regained her breath.
"Well you see Lillikins, when two people love each other very much a duck brings them a baby! My parents got lucky enough to have me!" said Sirius, finishing off with a proud grin. Lily began to laugh at his statement, though not for the reasons he thought she was laughing.
"Sirius, muggles tell their children that babies come from storks, not ducks!" Lily was now clutching at a cramp in her side that had formed from laughing for too long.
"What I think Sirius meant to say was that we arrived early to get a good compartment to ourselves." said Remus glancing exasperatedly at his friend. "We were just about to head back into the muggle part of the station to wait for you to arrive in case you needed help."
"Well thanks guys, but the Winsteads already picked us up and brought us through." Lily replied, grateful that she had already met people who were so kind.
Looking about her Lily saw children of all ages and parents to match. Standing off to the side by herself was a girl dressed in a fur cloak with light blonde hair tucked under a fur cap. She was standing with her back to Lily and the Marauders but Lily could see that she was holding a piece of parchment with a map and numbered sentences on it. The girl glanced down at the parchment then looked up and ran onto the train.
"Poor girl," Peter's words made Lily realize that the rest of her friends has been looking at the fur clad girl as well. "I know I'd be terrified if I had to come to the station with only a map to tell me where to go and what to do. Nobody to see her off, she must be feeling pretty lonely."
"I'm sure she'll find someone on the train." said Sirius in an offhand way. Lily glanced at him and saw that he was staring in the opposite direction. Everyone followed Sirius's gaze and saw it resting upon a boy with blonde hair and a cold look on his face. What Lily assumed to be his mother was wiping tears from her eyes while his father shoveled galleons upon galleons into the pouch he was holding.
"What do you say we get on the train?" said James noticing the boy. Rounds of 'good idea' and 'let's hurry' came from Lily's friends. Everyone split off to their respective families and after many hugs, kisses, and in James and Sirius's case 'We better not hear that you've been wrecking havoc!' the six boarded the train and piled into a compartment near the front.
After they had all settled in and the train started chugging along Lily began to interrogate the other five about their Hogwarts knowledge.
"Well you see," said James "there are four houses. Each has its own qualities. For instance, all Slytherin are evil." Everybody laughed at this statement, though Lily worried if there was any chance of her being placed in Slytherin. "No no, I' just joking around. Slytherin are known for their slyness and cunning. Ravenclaw are pretty much the brainiacs and while Hufflepuffs are a bit slower, they are usually good at heart. Then there's Gryffindor, known for bravery and determination. Every person in the Potter line has been in Gryffindor."
"Sounds like you've got something to live up to." said Lily.
"You could say that, its more or less that my family is a bunch of generic clones." replied James with a grin. Lily and the others laughed again. Soon they began telling Lily about the rest of the magical world ('the pictures move?!') and she was reeling in all the new information. They were so caught up in their talking that they didn't even hear the compartment door slide open. It wasn't until Lily saw a head of blonde hair turning around to exit into the hallway that she looked up.
"Hey! Wait!" she called to the figure. The girl paused and then turned around.
"Yes?" her voice was coated in a Swiss accent and her eyes were a startling shade of blue. Everyone else turned their heads and stared at the newcomer.
"You're the girl with the map!" said Peter excitedly, recognizing her fur coat.
"Oh yeah!" said Izzie, realization dawning on her face. "Are you looking for somewhere to sit?"
"Well I wouldn't want to be a bother." said the girl slowly, already turning back around to leave.
"It wouldn't be a bother! We'd love to have you sit with us!" Remus was smiling in a gentle and friendly way. The girl looked at each smiling face and then smiled back shyly.
"Alright, I was feeling kind of lost." She sat down next to Lily and took off her hat to reveal very shiny waves of blonde that cascaded down to the middle of her back.
"Lost you are no longer!" said Sirius. "So then, what's your name?"
"My name is Amathea Ludwegean." said the girl unbuttoning her thick cloak.
"Amathea, its quirky! I like it!" said Izzie with a grin. "Well my name's Isadora and I like to be called Izzie. This is Lily Evans, that's Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. The boys call themselves the Marauders." said Izzie pointing to each person in turn. "So where do you come from to have such a cool accent?"
At this question Amathea's fair skinned cheeks turned a shade darker than their normal soft pink.
"My family lives on the Zugspitze Mountain on the Swiss border south of Germany. We own a ski resort there."
"My family went skiing there once!" said James, "We stayed at Nueschweinstein! It was such a gorgeous castle."
"I live in Nueschweinstein! It's belonged to my family for centuries!" replied Amathea, happy to be able to relate to someone.
"Hold on a second, isn't Nueschweinstein a castle that the Crazy King Ludwig the fourteenth built?" asked Izzie, puzzled by the situation.
"Yes, Ludwig was my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great- great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. A few generations after he died the family altered the name in order to keep muggles from tracking us as descendants and disturbing the castle." Amathea answered with promptness, and Lily figured she was asked about her home frequently.
"That's a lot of greats." said Lily. "I think the farthest back my family tree goes is into the 6th generation or so."
"You're kidding me!" said Sirius with a look of shock. "My family name traces back to the early middle ages!"
"Mine too." said James.
"My family as well." added Izzie.
"Oh, well my family was never very prominent or anything..." Lily trailed off.
"Its ok Lily," said Remus catching the dejected tone in Lily's voice, "Most muggle families don't place much importance on a family name anyways. In the wizarding world who you come from can mean a lot."
"You're a muggle born?" asked Amathea with a look of slight shock on her face.
"Yes, why?" Lily was afraid that Amathea might say that there was something wrong with muggle-borns.
"Do you know the Disney castle?" the Swiss girl asked with an excited look on her face.
"Of course, every kid does. Its in the magic kingdom and they show it at the beginning of every Disney movie. What about it?" Lily responded a bit thrown for a loop.
"Nueschweinstein is the castle which the Disney castle is based off of! Muggle artists and designers were swarming the house for weeks when it was being sketched. There were quite a few memory modifications that were necessary." Amathea seemed to be under the impression that Lily knew what a memory modification was and Lily wasn't about to ask.
"That's really neat, Amathea. Do you have any siblings who have gone to Hogwarts?" asked Peter.
"No, I am the only Ludwegean descendant, but enough about me! I want to know all about you people!" answered Amathea, her blue eyes sparkling.
The rest of the train ride was spent talking and getting to know the new girl who turned out to be very sweet and very easy to get along with. The group lost track of time and were only brought back to reality when they felt the train begin to slow down.
"Oh no! We have to change into our school robes! Hurry, I don't think there is much time left before we get to Hogwarts!" said Izzie, closing the door behind the boys who had gone to wait outside while the girls changed. Lily was surprised to see that when Amathea pulled on her school robes there was already a golden coat of arms sewn onto the black material.
"Do you already know what house you are in?" asked Lily gesturing to the crest.
"No," said Amathea with a light laugh, "though it would save me a lot of nervousness. That is my family's coat of arms, all my clothes are embroidered with it. In Switzerland it is customary for well known families to always bear a coat of arms or family crest. It acts as an identification. For example, if I were to show up at a restaurant I would show the owner my family's crest and I would be seated at the table my family always has reserved. It makes things less of a hassle."
"Wow, you really get the VIP!" said Lily, shocked to say the least.
"Yes, I suppose you could say that." Amathea said pulling her hair into a low messy bun.
"Oy! Girls! We'd like to get changed sometime before 7th year!" shouted Sirius from the hallway. Lily, Izzie, and Amathea laughed and slid open the compartment door only to find James, Remus and Peter pulling on their robes. James grinned at the girls as he placed his glasses back on and said
"There was nobody in the hall and we figured we should just change here. Sirius, however, felt that it would be too much of a predicament if someone were to glimpse him in the process of taking of his clothing."
"Some people wouldn't be able to handle it!" cried Sirius in his defense. The girls just laughed and moved aside to allow him to have the compartment to himself.
"Was Sirius really worried about being seen?" asked Amathea.
"Naw, Sirius couldn't care less if people saw him in the nude. We made him keep watch for us." replied Remus.
"I'm ready for my debut!" called Sirius. Izzie rolled her eyes and slid the door back open. Just as Lily was walking through the doorway the train ground to a halt giving her a little lurch. Had Sirius's leg not been tangled about her ankles she probably wouldn't have fallen back onto James, ripping her robes on the door latch on her descent.
"Lily! Are you ok?" asked James lowering the redhead in his arms down to the floor. Lily began to perch herself up on her elbows while Peter jumped up to fetch Lily's wand, which she had dropped in her fall. However Peter had forgotten about the trunks overhead and bumped one with his shoulder by accident sending it hurtling towards Lily's head.
"Yeah, I'm f----" with a loud clunk the wooden trunk made contact with Lily's forehead and she fell limp with unconsciousness. James's eyes widened and he shoved the trunk off of Lily.
"Lily! Lily wake up! Lily!" he began to shout as the others crowded around. He grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and started shaking her motionless body. Panic started to consume his voice. "Lily! Come on! No! Lily!"
"No..." whispered Izzie, "No this can't be happening..."