Disclaimer: Everything apart from Marina Matthews belongs to J.K. Rowling. Marin's mine and I'm just having fun with everything else, so do not sue.

Marina

The ringing of the alarm was abruptly cut off by a fist thumping down on the unfortunate clock. In the silence, the fist retreated into the mound of blankets. Scarcely had it disappeared when the door burst open and a man came in, an unleashed dog jumping unto the heap of blankets.

"Aargh!" came the muffled shriek from within the blanket pile. "Call your dog off uncle Seb!" The man laughed warmly as he pulled the dog away. The heap rose and an unhappy, bleary and scowling face appeared from within. Hair a crow's nest and face going pink with rage, the face hissed, "I was sleeping!"

"Well, now you're not," replied Seb, with too much good cheer to be normal. "Your mum wants you down for breakfast in ten minutes. You do know that it's your first day at school? I can't have my one and only niece be late for her first day at the ever so glorious school of Hogwarts. You've grown so much, so fast. Why, it was just yesterday that you were bawling your eyes out for milk…"

She sulked, "It was yesterday and it was your entire fault uncle. You wouldn't give me the milk for grandfather's tea. No matter what you or anyone else says, grandfather is the scariest man on the planet. He'd have probably cursed me with something or other if his tea was ruined, hence my panic and tears. Now excuse me, but I have to get to the bathroom." Head held high, she tried to get out of the room with her dignity intact. It wasn't helped by her uncle's dog tripping her over at every opportunity.

Dressed and her last few things packed away, she went down for breakfast. The entire family had crammed into her parent's house to see her off. There were her two sets of grandparents, three aunts from her dad's side, and four uncles from her mother's side and her parents of course. Sometimes it just got to her that she was the youngest in the family. All of her nine cousins were older than her, boys and had already been sent off to school. Since her cousins and their family lived in France, the boys went to Beauxbaton. She'd be the first to go to Hogwarts since her aunt Morgan had graduated. It was just her luck that the entire family had gone to Hogwarts, save her cousins of course. They were all terribly excited that she'd be going to their old alma mater and wanted her to write back on how it had changed, if at all.

Her grandfather Matthias Matthews had been an Unspeakable, her grandmother Imogen had been happy to be a housewife. All her aunts, Matilda, Megan and Morgan were younger than her dad. All three were healers at St. Mungo's. Her grandpa Simon Sinclair and grandma Guinevere had been a magical bookshop owner. Her uncles Stephen, Damien, Benjamin and Sebastian were older than her mother and their jobs varied. It was through their side that she had all her nine cousins, their wives in France. Her parents were Mordecai and Siobhan Martin. Her dad was an Unspeakable and her mother was an Auror.

After a rushed breakfast with the entire family watching her beadily, they were on their way to Kings Cross. Her uncle Stephen had volunteered to be the map reader since he was the best at it. Even so, it was inevitable that they got lost. None of the adults were good at muggle maps, preferring to Apparate, floo or even use the Knight Bus.

When they eventually reached the station, they had a half hour to go before the train departed. With the news of the Dark Lord and his return confirmed, the family all surrounded Marina like an honour guard, wands ready to be drawn. They were overprotective to the point of suffocation, but in this case she almost didn't mind. She did wish that the muggles would stop looking their way suspiciously because of her family. As well as her family letting her have a look around the station.

Reaching the famous barrier, she wanted to pause and savour the moment. Instead, her aunt Matilda latched unto her arm and pulled her through it with no warning whatsoever. In the brief respite, she peered around the platform, having heard so much about it from the adults. She thought that her family had no storytelling skills whatsoever for the platform was different and very unlike their descriptions. As soon as her last two uncles had come through the barrier, she was hustled away to an empty train carriage. Her school trunk and her owl's cage were put away into a compartment. One by one, her family bid her goodbye until only her parents remained.

"Be good Marina," her mother told her, kissing her cheek.

Her dad said, "We've sent off your medical note to Hogwarts so the teachers will be forewarned. Just in case they don't, here's a copy." A folded piece of parchment was put into her pocket. "Owl us back with your sorted house dear." She nodded just before her grandfather cast a spell on her. Feeling extremely sleepy, she curled up into a ball and fell fast asleep.