Chapter 4: Train Friends
The steam engines whistle sounded shrilly. I hugged Aunty one more time and Sirius, Narcissa, Regulus and I boarded the train together. Sirius went off to find his new friends. I didn't understand how he could've made such good friends and forgotten his family. He was the first Black to be sorted into Gryffindor in over a century. There was one a while back who was in Ravenclaw, but aside from that I did not know of any other aberrations.
Even Narcissa had new friends, she went off to join them, telling us where she would be if we needed her. That left Regulus and me to find a compartment. We wandered down the aisle, peering through windows. At the very back of the train was an empty compartment. I opened the door and dragged in my trunk.
Outside the window the houses were fading quickly from view. Buildings were soon replaced by rolling green fields. Regulus and I sat in silence each awed by the experience awaiting us. I was ecstatic to be going to Hogwarts. I would finally be leaving my terrible home and going somewhere. Somewhere. The word rolled around deliciously in my mouth.
Our compartment door opened, and Narcissa poked her head through.
"Are you two alright?"
We both nodded, and she left glad to go back to her friends. Regulus stood up stiffly and stretched, gazing out the window.
"I'm hungry, how about you?"
I hadn't thought about hunger, I was just so pleased to be carried by a rocking train further and further away from my old life.
"Why don't we take a walk up and down the train?"
He phrased it as a suggestion, but we both knew that he meant "lets go find some other people to talk to."
"I pulled the compartment door open and looked up and down the hallway.
"Let's go."
We passed several compartments, all full of happy occupants. Laughter came from one up ahead. I recognized the laughter, it was Sirius's, his inconspicuous bark-like laugh. I raced to the compartment, eager to see him. But, suddenly everything was wrong, my world started to reel, and I clutched at the wall to steady myself. He was not sitting with the group of Slytherines I had expected. Instead he sat there in the presence of a Potter, and some other's I did not recognize, but just the same, shunners of the life we lived, as true wizards. Anger choked me, I saw his startled face look up. There was surprise in his eyes.
I didn't think, I did. Unconsciously my wand had reached my hand. The train gave an extra large jolt and rock as their compartment door was blasted apart. I aimed a hex at Sirius, but Regulus stopped me, pulling me back. Furious I turned and ran back to our compartment, slamming the door and sealing it, before Regulus caught up.
My mind was in utter turmoil, my thoughts racing and reeling around my head. How could he? How? How could he betray our world, our family, everything wizards stood for?
An announcement was made, we'd soon be arriving at Hogwarts. I stood up from the corner of the compartment where I'd finally dozed off after my encounter of Sirius and the following turmoil. I stretched stiffly and began to gather up my things.
Regulus was gone, I didn't know where to. I started to feel bad about abandoning him, but I had been so upset. All the anger of the past hours came back to me, the fury that Sirius had betrayed our family, and heritage, the race of pureblood wizards. The train rolled to a stop, and I opened the compartment door, glancing up and down the corridor where everyone was moving about and exiting the train. I followed suite, and left the train.
Outside the night was cold and clear, the stars shone brightly in and inky sky. People shoved and pushed me, and the moved along the platform, I sent little stinging hexes in their direction. A boy crammed up next to, scrunched in the small space. How dare he? This filthy mudblood, squeezing next to me like that, it wasn't decent.
I heard a husky voice calling, "Firs' years this way! Firs' years!"
I moved along the platform until I came to the man who'd been calling. He was a huge barbaric spectacle, three times the size of a normal man. I could tell by the light of the lantern that he had a huge beard, black and a mass of knots, no doubt filthy and infested. At a glance it was easy to tell that he was half-giant. A mixed-breed, not a suitable wizard. Why would the school hire such a disgrace to wizards? He didn't belong here.
The barbarian lead us to little boats at the edge of a great lake. I found myself sharing one with two snivelling, scared boys. I cast them a contemptuous glance.
The boat ride up to the castle was magical beyond belief. Shortly after we set off in the dark water, the lights of the castle reached us. The picture was beyond description. The castle tall and majestic loomed above us, both welcoming and forbidding, it's lights reflected in the dark lake.
The boats pulled into a kind of harbour, under the castle, that had been built into the hillside. I stepped out and followed the group up the stairs, and through a large doorway. My life at Hogwarts had begun.