CHAPTER 2 – Arrival
Rachel Smythe sighed as she boarded the scarlet train. With some difficulty she pulled her suitcases, book bags, and viola on the train, and into an empty compartment towards the back. From looking at the other kids, she was the only one who didn't bring a trunk.
Why am I always the odd man out? I should have just shoved everything into that trunk. And I definitely should have left this stupid viola home…
She pulled out a very tattered looking piece of paper and unfolded it.
It doesn't say anything about instruments, so I guess I can bring mine… I feel stupid though…
Rachel had taken to feeling out of place for quite some time now. She had been weird all her life. She had very big, brown, curly hair that she liked to keep back in a messy bun. She had big brown eyes, fair skin, and square jaw. Rachel didn't have too many friends at her normal school.
Sure, there were the kids that were in orchestra with her, but those were basically her only friends. People tended to steer clear of her when she walked down the hallway. She had a knack for causing odd things to happen, at just about the worst times possible.
One time, during lunch (when she was particularly angry) the lunch food caught on fire as she walked by. Another time, when she was helping a teacher copy papers, the whole room caught on fire, after somebody called her " a brown-noser". There were a slew of other times, where she was at the site of a fire.
Most of the time, people called her a pyromaniac. Some of the smarter kids at school realized that every time there was a fire, she was usually angry. This didn't make for a good reputation.
Im already off to a bad start at a new school… Jeesh I wish my parents would have told me about this…
"You are not going to that school! I don't care what you say; you are not going there! EVER! It's a hoax!" Her mother yelled
"But mum! Why didn't you tell me what I was? Why did you hide this all from me?"
"Because none of it is true Rachel! Why cant you just listen to us!" Her father shouted.
"Dad! Mum! PLEASE! Just let me go for a year. Or until Christmas. I just want to see what this thing is about!"
"NO."
Rachel sighed once more, and pulled a sheet of paper out of her bag. She started to write a letter.
Dear mum and dad,
I am sorry I ran off like that. But you have to understand. Kids at school think im awful, and this will be a new start for me. I'll think of Hogwarts as a new page.
Don't worry about money or anything. I'll be fine until Christmas. That's when im coming home. We can talk more then
You must tell people that I went to a Swedish boarding school. That's where I told them I was going. And what ever you do, DON'T tell people what I am. I will be in huge trouble, and we might even be put in jail! So just say I went to boarding school.
I'll send letters every week. I miss you lots. Please don't be too angry with me. I just had to go.
Much love—
As she signed her name, the compartment door slid open, and in stepped three girls.
The first girl to enter had blue eyes, blond hair and a round face. The next girl had, dark brown eyes, a long nose, and bright pink hair. The last girl to walk in was green-eyed, with long pretty, red hair.
"And this is our comp—" The girl with the red hair started, stopping short when she saw Rachel. "Hello, uh, your—your in our compartment."
"Oh. Im really sorry, but there weren't any others, compartments I mean. I'll leave though." Rachel blushed and started to gather her things.
"Oh no that's ok! Really. It's just that, this is the worst compartment out of all of them. Nobody ever comes in here." The blond haired girl said quickly.
"Hi then, im Rachel." She said, extending her hand.
"Im Alice" the blond haired girl said. "Nice to meet you"
"Im Lily" the red haired girl said, shaking her hand.
"And im Nymphadora. But really, just call me Tonks. I hate my first name." Said the last girl. "Should I change my hair Lily? I just saw my reflection, and I look funny."
"Well if you want. Why don't you just go normal for the first day, and then play around." Lily answered her.
Soon Tonks' face began to change shape, and her hair began to lengthen and turn brown.
"Whoa. How did you do that?" Rachel asked, amazed
"Im an animagius" Tonks said. Rachel just stared blankly at her.
"Right then, I'll go if this is your compartment
"No no, its ok!" Alice said quickly "Really. We don't mind."
"Thanks guys," Rachel said with relief. She did not want to start of the year on the wrong side of anybody.
"So," Lily said sitting down across from Rachel, "are you a first year?"
"What's that?"
"Is this your first year at Hogwarts?"
"Oh! Yes, yes it is. How about you?"
"Well Alice and I are fifth years in Gryffindor—"
"You've been here for FIVE years? When did you start?" Rachel asked incredulously.
"When I was eleven. Like everyone else…"
"But then how is that? Im fifteen. So how am I in a different year?"
"Wait… Its your first year here?" Alice asked
"Yes! This is the first time I got a letter from Hogwarts." Rachel said.
"And you're fifteen?" Lily asked.
"Yes I am, I don't underst—" Rachel started. "Ugggg! Im going to kill my parents! They must have hid my letters! I must have gotten to this letter before them!"
"Why wouldn't your parents want you to get your letters?" Lily asked.
"Well they certainly didn't want me to come this year. We had a huge row. They told me I couldn't go, and gave me all these crazy excuses. But I ran away anyway, and went to Kings Cross Station, to get on the train here. Why wouldn't they want me to come to Hogwarts?" Rachel said. The compartment was silent for a moment.
"What's your last name again?" asked Tonks.
"Smythe…"
The girls looked at each other.
Lily raised her eyebrow.
"That's why."
