CHAPTER FOUR: The Hogwarts Express
Ellie's last three days at the Burrow were much sadder than she had anticipated. It wasn't just the knowledge that she'd have to leave Ginny, Molly, and Arthur behind; it was also the knowledge that, once school started, she wouldn't get to see the twins as often. Even if she got into the same house as them, they were still older than her; they wouldn't have classes together. She had grown extremely close with them in a short period of time, and she wasn't quite ready to face the distance.
On the third day, they lined up all their luggage, cages, and paraphernalia by the fireplace and took turns lugging it all through the Floo Network and into a hidden room within King's Cross.
"Why is it called 'nine and three quarters,' anyway?" she asked them once they had all made it and started walking into the more public part of the station.
"Good question—it should really be 'nine and a half,'" said George airily.
"It's because we go through a brick wall between platforms nine and ten," Fred explained. "It's quite fun—you run as fast as you can through the wall, and then you kind of… go through it… and appear someplace else."
Ellie glanced at all the Muggles around them in confusion.
"Best not to actually run as fast as you can," Fred admitted when he saw her expression.
"Be as discreet as possible," affirmed Arthur.
George went first, followed by Fred. Ellie watched in amazement as they essentially dematerialized right before her eyes. She started to move toward it, sticking with the twins in her usual fashion, but stopped when she heard a voice from behind her.
"Excuse me, but could you tell me how to…?"
She turned to see a boy who looked to be about her age blinking nervously at Molly. He had dark, messy hair, green eyes, and round glasses. He reminded her a bit of Teddy Clark, the boy Paige Patterson had ruthlessly bullied before Ellie set her hair on fire.
"My first time, too," Ellie explained to him after Molly gave him the synopsis of how to get through. "Do you want to go together?"
The boy's nervous face lit up like a lightbulb at that, and he nodded eagerly. "That'd be great!"
"Good luck," Ginny said to both of them.
Ellie gave Ginny a last, tight hug, then did the same with Arthur and Molly, before offering her arm to the boy. He accepted, and together they pushed their carts at the wall and slipped right through it.
"Oi," said Fred when he saw the boy. "Middle of a brick wall's an interesting place to pick up boys, El."
Ellie laughed, though the boy turned pink. "Ignore him," she advised the boy. "Along with the one who looks just like him."
"Hey!" whined George.
Ron and Percy had both arrived by then. Percy pushed past them to meet up with his older friends, but Ron joined their group as they made their way toward the Hogwarts Express.
"Your parents didn't come to see you off?" Ellie asked the boy curiously as they helped each other hoist their luggage into the appropriate compartments.
He didn't seem to like that question. "My aunt and uncle dropped me at the station."
Ellie instantly hated herself for making assumptions that the boy had parents. She also instantly felt for him that he might not have parents. "I'm Ellie," she said, realizing they hadn't made introductions yet. "The identical ones are Fred and George, and that's Ron. They're Weasleys, and I'm… not a fan of my last name."
Having safely stowed all their luggage by then, they headed into the first open compartment they could find as the boy said, "Nice to meet you all. I'm Harry."
"Not a fan of your last name, either?" quipped George.
"Sorry—it's Potter. Harry Potter."
Everyone froze at that. Even Ellie, who knew little about the wizarding world, had heard of Harry Potter. He was the reason Lord Voldemort was dead.
"Bloody hell," Ron finally breathed. "Do you… I mean, could I see…?"
"Oh," Harry said, seeming to realize what Ron was referring to. "Sure." And he reached for his messy hair, pushing it back so that they could see the lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead.
"Very cool," Fred and George said at the same time.
Before Ellie could think of what to say, their compartment door slid open, and a boy about Fred and George's age with long dreadlocks peered inside. "Aren't you coming?" he asked the twins. "Ange and Ollie want to talk Quidditch."
George rose to leave, but Fred hesitated, glancing at Ellie. He seemed to be debating whether he should ask her permission to leave, invite her, or something else entirely.
"Go on," she said easily. "Have to spend time with people my own age eventually, don't I?"
He didn't look particularly pleased by that question. "I'll be back," he said shortly, then followed the other two out of the cabin.
"So," Ron said to Harry when it was just the three of them. "You must have gotten loads of attention growing up, eh? Does it ever get old?"
"Actually, I didn't," said Harry. "I grew up in the Muggle world."
Ellie perked up at that. "Me, too. Terrible, wasn't it?"
Harry laughed. "You could say that."
Instantly, Ellie felt guilty again. She was getting the sense more and more that this boy was an orphan; why did she have to keep asking him difficult questions?
Their compartment door opened again at that, this time revealing a plump, older woman pushing a lolly trolley. "Any of you dears want anything?"
Ron shook his head, but Ellie and Harry both forked over several coins to purchase a large assortment of goods from Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans to Chocolate Frogs. They munched contentedly for several minutes, comparing bean flavors and wizard cards, until Harry asked them, "Either of you know any good spells?"
Ellie thought excitedly of the new wand she'd gotten from Ollivander's, but she shook her head; she'd been warned against practicing magic outside of Hogwarts, and hadn't bothered trying to learn any spells.
"I've got one I can try," said Ron, pulling out his wand. "Fred and George taught me this one, actually…" He reached back into his cloak and pulled out Scabbers.
Ellie had seen Scabbers, Ron's pet rat, back at the Burrow, but she couldn't help but gasp when he whipped the rat out so nonchalantly. "Ron, you can't just keep your rat in your pocket! He's meant to go in a cage!"
"Yes, Mum," grumbled Ron, rolling his eyes, as he pointed his wand at the rat.
Just before he could perform the spell, their compartment door opened again, and a girl about their age with big, buck teeth and bushy, light brown hair peered in.
"Have any of you seen a toad?" she asked, not bothering to introduce herself. "A boy named Neville's lost one."
Despite her lack of courtesy, there was something Ellie instinctively liked about the girl. "I'm afraid not," she said politely. "I'm Ellie, and this is Harry and Ron."
"Hermione Granger—pleasure." The girl's eyes trailed down to Ron's wand, and she asked, "Are you performing a spell?"
Ron nodded, looking embarrassed. "Was just about to."
"Go on, then." Hermione took a seat next to Ellie, looking eager.
Ron cleared his throat, then resumed pointing the wand at Scabbers and said, "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow… Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow!"
A few sparks and a stream of smoke shot out of Ron's wand, and the rat shrieked and darted back into his coat pocket.
"Was that a real spell?" sneered Hermione. "Well, it wasn't a very good one, was it?" She rose to her feet and added, "You'd best get changed into your robes—I expect we'll be arriving soon."
The three of them stared at each other in amused bewilderment as the compartment door closed behind the girl.
"Whatever house she's in," muttered Ron, "I hope I'm not."
Ellie and Harry both laughed, but Ellie admitted, "I liked her."
And with that, she turned her attention toward the window—and the castle looming in the distance.
Hope you enjoyed this latest installment! Ellie is making fast friends now, but how will her friendship with the twins hold up when she can't see them as often? Will there be room in the famous Golden Trio for her, or will she stick to her own trio? Keep reading to find out, and please remember to review if you're enjoying the story. Thanks so much!
