Disclaimer: Harry Potter, associated characters from the seven books and the wizarding world come from the amazing imagination J.K. Rowling. They are owned by JK Rowling and the WB.
A/N – Frequent question that I will answer quickly aboutBellatrix having kids the same age as Ginny's. Bellatrix was born about mid 50's which means in 1996 when Half-Blood Prince was made she would be about 41-43. Unusual to have your first kid at this age yes, but even in Muggle society today it happens. We're talking wizarding world here though where they have longer life-spans. So to me it makes sense that not every wizard starts procreating as soon as they leave School.
Also sorry there seems to be so much exposition at the moment. It will start picking up soon I promise.
Thanks to Ashley06 and Surfster and Saffor being my Betas/Reviewers it is much appreciated.
Chapter 3 - On the Hogwarts Express
If Lily had thought that Diagon Alley was busy it was nothing compared to Platform 9 ¾ the 1st September. Whole families were bustling about trying to get the children onto a scarlet engine that sat puffing idly at the station. After saying goodbye to her aunt and uncle she had got onboard early to secure a compartment for herself her brother and their almost cousin Xavier Lupin who was also starting Hogwarts this year. Looking out of the empty compartment window she could see her Aunt and Uncle talking to 'Uncle' Remus and 'Aunt' Tonks while James and Xavier seemed huddled as if devising some sort of plot. Lily frowned slightly at this. She really did not want to get into trouble on her first day at school.
She noted that Uncle Ron and 'Uncle' Remus seemed on slightly friendlier terms then they were when she, James and Aunt Hermione had come back from Diagon Alley. They had just finished at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and flooed home, James and Lily still talking excitedly about the things they had seen in WWW. All three had frozen at the sound of shouting coming from the kitchen.
"Don't give me that crap, Remus! You've been back for a week now!"
"You think I don't know that Ron! We were finished. She was meant to come back just after me. Dammit she wanted to see the kids before school started!"
"Well where is she then!"
"I don't know, Ron! I wish I did."
"Come on you two let's move away," Aunt Hermione said placing a hand on their shoulders and pulling them away.
She had not heard anymore but Lily had known they had been talking about her mother. It was now a week later and they still had not heard from here. 'Where are you mum?'
"I'm sorry, do you mind if I join you? Or are you holding the compartment for a whole tribe?" The friendly voice pulled Lily out of her reprieve and she looked at the girl with the funny accent who stood in the doorway. The girl gave Lily a pleasant smile, her aqua-marine eyes questioning as adjusted her grip on the trunk she was holding.
"No, well my brother and a friend of ours will be along shortly but that's it. You're free to join us." Lily replied.
The girls grin widened. "Beauty, mate!" She dragged in her trunk and stored it in the overhead compartment before taking the seat opposite Lily.
They sat in that awkward stranger meeting stranger silence for what was probably less than a minute but seemed a lot longer before the girl said. "I'm Caliope by the way, Caliope Falon." She stuck out her hand.
Lily leaned forward to shake. "Lily, Lily …" Her surname was covered by the loud chatter that erupted as Xavier and her brother entered talking as usual far too loudly.
"I still can't believe you told your father Xav."
Xavier nodded at the two girls his chocolate eyes sparkling as he pulled in his trunk almost hiding James from view. "It never would have worked anyway Jim." He replied as he placed his trunk next to Lily's and Spartacus' cage.
"You don't know that Xav it could have … You!" James had entered the compartment and had finally caught sight of Caliope.
The blonde girl smiled pleasantly. "Hello again."
"Wait a minute," Lily started confused, "you two know each other?"
"Not exactly," Caliope replied seeming quite amused that James still hadn't moved.
"She was staring at me at Diagon Alley." James remarked as he finally came to his senses and started to move his trunk. Lily's confused gazed switched back to Caliope.
"Well it was hardly my fault," She replied leaning to the side slightly to talk around James who was just putting his trunk next to Caliope's. "He was creating whirly winds!"
James paused for a second and looked down at her. "I was what?"
"Creating Whirly Winds." She said slowly as he sat down next to Xavier. The other three in the compartment looked at Caliope bewildered. "Whirly Winds. You know small circular winds," She rotated her finger circularly. "Like a real mini tornado." Comprehension dawned on their faces. "I've never seen anyone do wandless magic before."
"Yeah well," James said puffing out his chest slightly. Lily just raised an eyebrow and James deflated slightly. Sighing he finished "actually I didn't even realize I was doing it."
"Oh, so it was just accidental." Caliope looked slightly put out. "Oh well, it was still impressive."
The train jolted slightly as it finally began its journey. The four children instantly moved to the window pressing against it to give a final farewell wave to their families on the platform. Once the platform was out of sight they sat back down again. James and Xavier on one side who immediately started a game of exploding snap and Lily and Caliope on the other.
"Well I suppose I should formally introduce you to the two idiots on the other side." Lily remarked with a small smile at Caliope. "The dark haired…um blond haired um…Xavier!"
"Cool!" Caliope remarked as Xavier, grinning at Lily, changed his hair back from the red it had just turned to his natural dark brown.
"Okay, the idiot on the left is Xavier Lupin. As you may have noticed he's a metamorphagus. He gets it from his mother's side. Although the most he can change at the moment is his eye and hair colour."
"Hey I changed my nose once!"
"Really?" Asked James
"Yeah but I was stuck with a tomato for a nose for two days before I managed to change it back." Everyone laughed at that. "Luckily I didn't inherit my father's transformation abilities." Caliope shot a puzzled glance at Lily who just shrugged. Xavier would tell if he wanted to.
Lily continued. "Okay that leaves the idiot on the right who happens to be my twin brother James."
"Twins. Really you don't look alike."
"Yes well my dear sister deceives you. See she likes to state that we are twins but she in fact is adopted."
"Shut up runt."
"Well you are."
"Am not,"
"Are too"
"Do you want me to bat bogey you?"
James shuddered at this and shut up.
"Okay I definitely believe you are siblings." Caliope remarked trying to stifle a giggle. "Well I'm Caliope Falon."
"Where are you from Caliope?" Xavier asked as the cards exploded in front of him.
"Please call me Cali, Caliope just sounds so old fashioned. I suppose my accent is pretty noticeable around here. I'm from Australia."
"So what are you doing going to Hogwarts." James asked. "Don't you go to some Australian school?"
"Well I did get accepted to Tandanya, but my mum - she's a muggle - got transferred to run the London office of her company. Since it's a pretty permanent transfer Dad decided the whole family would move over here. He looked around and got a vacant teaching job at Hogwarts, Transfiguration, therefore allowing me to start there. It's pretty cool really. My eleventh birthday was only a week ago so basically I get to skip half a year of schooling since we have a January to December school year in Aus." Cali took a deep breath. "Sorry I tend to prattle on a bit when I get nervous. So what year are you guys in?"
"We're all starting our first years too. Our Mum's also a teacher. Professor Weasley Defense Against the Dark Arts." Lily didn't mention that she had no idea whether he mum would actually be there at the start of this term.
"Watch where you're going, boy." A shrill voice filled with laughter sounded from out in the corridor. Lily opened the door and looked out to see what was going on. James, Xavier and Cali also popped their heads out.
In the corridor stood Silvestra Lestrange her younger brother, Damien, and two other people they had never seen before but looked to be about the same age as Silvestra. They were laughing at a young dark blond boy who seemed to have tripped backward over his suitcase.
"You really do have to be careful sometimes," Sneered Silvestra, flicking her straight silky black hair over her shoulder. Her almost black eyes regarded him with such distain.
"I was being careful." Argued the boy standing up, his hands clenching in a fist. "It's really easy to loose your balance when you're pushed like that."
Lily, James, Xavier and Caliope stepped further out of their compartment hearing this. "Do you mind, we're trying to hold some conversations in here." Lily remarked her emerald eyes fixed on Silvestra as her hand seemed to automatically sway towards her wand. She had no idea why it did that. It wasn't like she had actually used it for many spells or such.
"Well just go back on in and ignore us then." Dismissed Damien, narrowing his eyes at them.
"Fine!" James stated as if the group could not be bothered. He turned to the blond haired boy. "We have some spare room in here if you'd like to join us." The blond boy gave a small smile and James bent to help him with his trunk. He dropped it instantly as something almost like a whip struck his hand. He glanced up to see Silvestra standing there with her wand out.
"We didn't say you could take our toy."
James glanced at Lily and was amazed to see her wand already in her hand. There seemed to be a fire burning in her eyes. "I'm sorry I don't see a toy, do you James."
"Nope, no toys around here, a couple of jerks maybe, but no toys." James also had slipped his wand out of his pocket. Glancing behind him he also noticed that Xavier and Caliope had also slipped their wands out.
Silvestra chuckled as the rest of her group removed their wands. "Well isn't that sweet, the firsties are going to put on a show. Do you really think you'll be a match for us? We're third years little ones and little Damien here has already had private training. What do you really think you can do to us?"
"I guess there's only one way to find out isn't there?" Remarked the blond haired boy, who had also gotten his wand out.
"Silvestra, I do hope you're not causing problems here." Came a friendly voice from behind the Lestrange group.
They could see Silvestra curse under her breath before turning around and smiling at a slightly older girl wearing a prefect badge. Lily's group decided this would be a good time to stow their wands away again.
"Course not Sadie, we were just helping your younger brother, Nathaniel here find a compartment."
"Is that right?"
"We've offered to let him share ours, we've still got space." Chimed in Xavier, who was ready for this little interlude to be over.
"Well then looks like your task is done then Silvestra. I suggest you go back to your own compartment." Silvestra rewarded this statement with a scowl and returned to her own compartment further up the train. The prefect waited until the group was out of ear-reach before turning to the group of first years. "So what really happened?"
Lily was about to talk when Nathaniel butted in. "Nothing, okay Sadie. I'm fine. I just want to put my stuff away and sit down."
Sadie gave him an appraising look then nodded. "Okay, well I've got to continue on my rounds but I'll pop in on you later."
"I'm fine Sadie," Nathaniel called after his sister who just gave him a short wave. James and Xavier help Nathaniel move his trunk to one of the overhead compartments and they settled back into their seats. "I could have handled the situation myself you know," Nathaniel remarked finally sitting.
"Course you could mate," Agreed James, "It just never hurts to have someone watching your back."
"Fair enough. I'm Nate. Well Nathaniel anyway."
James nodded, "James, sister Lily," Lily cave a small wave, "Xavier," Xavier waved, "and Cali," Cali waved, "Welcome to the …"
"James we do not have a name," Interrupted Lily. "Seriously must you name everything!"
The remaining journey was pleasant for the five new friends who talked and played different card games, both wizard and muggle as it turned out that Nate's dad was a muggle too. The only remaining interruptions were from the lunch trolley and Nate's sister popping her head in to check up on him. Before they knew it the time had come for them to change into their school robes.
The train pulled up to Hogsmead Station and they were informed to leave their trunks where they were and exit the train. On the way out of they train Lily and James got close behind Damien Lestrange. Lily slipped her wand out and quickly said a spell that she had been practicing on her own brother. Damien suddenly tripped over and looking down noticed that his shoe laces were tied together.
"I suppose shoe laces can be tricky," James remarked loudly as they passed Damien. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. They were about to head to the incredibly large man who was calling for all first years when a hand clamped down on both of their shoulders.
"James and Lily Potter, you two are coming with me."