Disclaimer: I only own the people you don't recognize. Nor do I own any songs/bands/movies/tv shows/etc mentioned. Okay?
Author's Note: Okay, so I know that OC's aren't well liked here in HP Land, but I created one for this anyway! Yes, she blonde and she's from USA, but she's NOT a Mary Sue. Or least, I'm going to try my damndest to keep that from happening. Also, this is rated PG-13 for language and sexual scenes. It might up to R later on, I haven't decided yet.
Baby's black balloon makes her fly
I almost fell into that hole in your life
And you're not thinking about tomorrow
'Cause you were the same as me
But on your knees
A thousand other boys could never reach you
How could I have been the one?
I saw the world spin beneath you
And scatter like ice from the spoon
That was your womb
-The Goo Goo Dolls
September 1st, 1996-
Bo Tucker looked up and down the train platform, searching for a familiar face. It had been nearly five minutes since her cousin, Seamus, had abandoned her for some blue eyed floozy. She looked up the platform again. Not a soul that she knew. Well, except Seamus and his friends, but Bo would rather die than join her cousin.
Bo and Seamus had always detested one another, that was a well-known fact in their family. No one was really sure why, it had just always been that way. They were exactly the same age; the two of them were even born in the same month, November.
Being born in the same month wasn't the only thing the two had in common. They were both half Muggle half-magical. Both their mothers' were witches. They were both the middle child. And they both had the same sandy colored hair. In fact, Bo and Seamus looked so much alike; they could pass for brother and sister instead of cousins. The only difference was their eyes. Seamus' eyes were bright blue, while Bo's were dark brown.
Bo wasn't even sure why she was at Hogwarts. She'd gotten into some trouble at her old school, in America. It started out as a harmless prank, but she'd ended up blowing up half of her Potions classroom. Needless to say, her parents weren't happy. Bo could still hear her father's voice.
"We never had this much trouble out of Allison, and Caleb wouldn't dream of blowing up half the school! What possess you to do the things you do?"
Of course, being reminded of her perfect siblings, especially her angelic older sister, Allison, didn't help matters. So after a long discussion (this is what her father called it. Bo simply called it a lot of bickering) both her parents decided it would be best if Bo was sent to Hogwarts for the remainder of her academic career. Her mother, Kate, had attended Hogwarts and knew that they wouldn't put up with Bo's so called antic's. It had been hard saying good bye to her friends, and even her family, however ashamed they may be, but Bo was actually glad to switch schools. It would be nice to go to a place where no one knows you, or your family. Well, except an annoying cousin.
"Hello." A voice startled Bo out of her thoughts. She looked up to see a short girl with bushy brown hair standing in front of her. She was holding a large, ginger colored cat. "You're Bo Tucker, right? We met in Diagon Alley a few weeks ago. Hermione Granger, remember?"
Bo nodded, flicking some of her blond hair from her face. "Yeah, I remember. It's nice to see a familiar face."
"Where's Seamus?" Hermione asked. Bo rolled her eyes.
"He's currently charming some blue eyed bimbo."
Hermione glanced in the direction Bo nodded towards.
"Oh, that's Lavender Brown, she's in our year. She's in our house too, actually." Hermione said. She knew that Professor Dumbledore had put Bo in Gryffindor, instead of having her sorted. He thought that would be easier on her, since Seamus was in that house as well and he could help her out. Yeah, right.
"Um, who else is in our house?" Bo asked Hermione nervously. She was hoping she wouldn't have to share a dorm with a bunch of giggling airheads.
Hermione pointed to a dark haired girl with creamy skin, who was standing next to Lavender. "Parvati Patil is. Oh, and that's Neville Longbottom. You know Dean Thomas, right?"
Bo nodded, and Hermione kept up a running commentary until the conductor announced it was time to start boarding the train.
"They're going to miss the train if they don't hurry up." Hermione muttered, as the two girls found a compartment together.
"Who?" Bo asked.
"Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. My two best friends."
"Oh." Bo nodded. "Cool."
She sat on one of the plush seats and looked out the window.
"So," Hermione started. "Are you pureblooded or half and half, like Seamus?"
"I'm half and half." Bo responded. "Daddy's a Muggle. Mom met him after she moved to America to become a Healer. He owns his own car garage."
"Neat." Hermione smiled. "Both my parents are dentist. Where are you from in America?"
"Texas. We live in this suburb about ten miles outside of Dallas." Bo smiled sadly. "I kinda miss it already. So, what about you? Are you pureblooded, half and half, or Muggle born?"
"I'm Muggle born." Hermione answered.
Before she could say anymore, the compartment door opened and two boys walked in. The first one was extremely tall, with bright red hair and tons of freckles. The second boy was slightly shorter, and had jet-black hair, bright green eyes, and round glasses. The scar on his forehead told Bo immediately that this was Harry Potter. Both boys stopped short at the sight of Bo.
"Oh, hello." The redhead said. "Aren't you going to introduce us, Hermione?"
"I was getting ready to, Ronald." Hermione said, but she was smiling. "Bo, these are my friends, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. Harry, Ron, this is Bo Tucker. She's an American transfer. She's also Seamus Finnighan's cousin."
Bo smiled at the boys. "Hi." She said.
"Hello." Ron said again, sitting down next to Hermione.
"Hi." Harry mumbled. He realized that Ron had already sat down, and hastily sat next to Bo.
"How come you transferred from America?" Ron asked. "Didn't you like your school there?"
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed. "That's none of our business!"
But Bo could tell Hermione was dying to know that little fact, as well.
"I was almost expelled at the end of last year." She answered, laughing. "I blew up part of my Potions classroom."
This brought laughter from Ron, a small smile from Harry, and a mixture of glee and shock from Hermione.
"Oh," Ron hooted, slapping his knee. "Do you think you could do that for us? Everyone hates our Potions master."
"Why?" Bo leaned forward. "Is he annoying?"
"You could say that." Hermione answered, her mouth twitching. "He's horrid, everyone hates him."
"Why?"
"We can't tell you." Ron replied. "It might spoil the surprise."
"Some surprise." Harry muttered, and the others laughed.
The train ride went fairly smooth, Bo thought, except for a small run in with Seamus she had. She was introduced to several of her new housemates, and a few kids who were in other houses. But other than that, she spent most of the ride telling her new friends about herself, and listening as they told her about themselves. Well, except for Harry, who barely spoke.
"I'm an only child." Hermione told her. "Do you have any siblings?"
"Two." Bo answered. "I have an older sister named Allison. She's nineteen. My little brother, Caleb, is fourteen."
"I have five brothers and one sister." Ron told her. "I'm next to the youngest. Ginny, she was in here earlier, is the youngest."
Bo glanced at Harry, hoping he'd speak, but he didn't. He was just staring out the window in a daze.
"Bo, I'm not trying to be rude or anything," Hermione started a few minutes later. "But where did you get your name? I've never met a girl named Bo before."
Bo giggled. "Well, my parents wanted to name us alphabetically, and they couldn't think of any 'B' names they liked. One day, when my mom was about eight months pregnant, she came across the name 'Bo' in a novel she was reading. My mom loves those cheap romance novels. Anyway, they decided to name my Bo Harris Tucker, after the girl in the book."
"That's crazy." Ron said. "I was named after my mum's grandpa Ronald and my dad's brother, Bilius."
"Well, I was named after a fictional character too." Hermione injected. "So don't feel bad Bo. At least you weren't named after a character from a Shakespeare play."
"Um, who were you named after, Harry?" Bo asked, once again trying to make conversation with the sullen boy.
"Dunno." He answered shortly, not even bothering to look at her. "No one ever told me."
The conversation sort of petered out after than, and soon they were pulling up to the Hogsmeade station.
"You'll have to excuse Harry." Hermione whispered as they tried to find an empty carriage. "His Godfather was killed in June. It happened right in front of him."
"Poor kid."
"Yeah."
"Hey, you two!" Ron called. "We found a carriage! Come on!"
The four of them were joined in their carriage by Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley, who Bo had met earlier, and Luna Lovegood, who Bo met for the first time.
Bo felt her jaw drop slightly as Hogwarts came into view. She didn't know what she's been expecting, but it wasn't this. Maybe she expected Hogwarts to look like her old school, which just looked like a normal private school.
"This is amazing!" She exclaimed, bouncing in her seat a little. "It's beautiful! I've never seen anything like it!"
The others laughed, even Harry. Bo smiled at little and glanced at Harry. Their eyes met and he face turned a little red. At that moment, Bo knew something for sure.
It would definitely be an interesting year. This made her excited, but if she only knew just how interesting the year would get, she would've been on the first plane back to Texas.