CHAPTER THREE: THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS
Just hours till the Hogwarts Express was scheduled to leave, and Raven was shoving her feet into her massive boots once more, hurrying to pick up the rest of her school things.
She went downstairs and found her mother, who agreed to take her to London and drop her off at King's Cross, but insisted she needed to be back home by eleven o'clock…. which happened to be the same time the train left the station. Raven sighed and left the room to get her trunk and stowe it in the car.
They arrived at the station with quarter an hour to spare. Raven stood herself between platforms nine and ten with her head slightly tilted to one side. Then, remembering pulled out a wrinkled piece of parchment and examined it.
"…And don't forget… platform… divides platforms nine and ten…run straight through…" She muttered, sliding her finger over a paragraph her father had written on the parchment. She looked up in time to notice a black-haired boy of about her age pushing a trolley just behind her.
He had an odd, apprehensive look on his face. It seemed an odd look to Raven, because he gave off an air of distinct toughness and mischief. Perhaps it was the small gold loop he had in his ear. Or the black shirt he was wearing with "LOSER" written across the chest, and the sleeves shoved up to his elbows.
Raven folded the letter and slipped it back into her pocket, watching the boy approach. She'd not noticed he was right behind her until she heard him mutter, "You for Hogwarts too?" in her ear. She gave a little start, but recovered herself, and hissed, "yes," back at him.
The boy nodded to show he'd gotten her, but continued to look awkwardly at the platforms before him, making Raven smile and lean in towards him once more and say, "forward."
"Eh?"
"You've got to run forward into the barrier between nine and ten, to get through."
He looked at her, utterly puzzled, but then his face split into a grin. "Right," said he, and ran forward as Raven had suggested, and out of sight, with she close behind.
They passed straight through and reappeared on a noisy, packed platform. The black-haired boy turned to face her. "Thanks for that one," he said, and held out a hand. "I'm Sirius."
Raven grinned and shook his hand.
"I'm Raven. Nice meeting you." And she turned and wheeled her cart round so it was level with Sirius's.
At first, the pair of them walked down the length of the train, looking for an empty compartment. But about halfway down the Hogwarts Express, a compartment door swung open, and Raven heard her name called.
"Raven! Over here!" Lily said, waving Raven down.
"Sirius, come in this one - it's not but half full," said Raven. True, it was only half filled, but it was so with chattering girls. Sirius glanced at them with distaste.
"Ah… thanks, mate, but I think I'll keep looking," he said carefully to Raven, and continued making his way down the train.
Lily helped Raven stowe her trunk away, and they settled into the crowded compartment.
Next door, however, it was a different story. Only one person was in this compartment. James Potter, a moderately built eleven-year-old with hazel eyes, jet-black hair that stood up in the back and round glasses, stood with his arm out the window, waving a farewell to his parents.
"Are you sure you have everything, dear?" The mother was saying. "Now you must be sure to send us an owl once you get there, and - "
" - And behave yourself," said the father sternly.
"Aaaah, Dad, you're no fun. None at all." Said James with a smile, as the train prepared to leave.