Chapter 3

Riding the Hogwarts Express

About two months later, Virginia was packing her trunk to go to Hogwarts on the morning of September 1st. Then, she used Floo Powder to get herself to Diagon Alley and took a bus to King's Cross Station because her parents refused to provide transportation for her. During the bus ride, Virginia kept staring at her ticket. One thing about it didn't make sense. It said that the Hogwarts Express would be at Platform 9 ¾. When Virginia got there, there wasn't a Platform 9 ¾.

She saw a Platform 9, and a Platform 10, logically Platform 9 ¾ would be in between the two, but it wasn't there. Even the name of the Platform didn't make sense because Platform names don't usually have fractions in them. Instead of asking one of the muggles at the station, to whom Virginia was certain she'd sound crazy, she waited around with her trolley until she saw a redheaded woman with 5 children talking about Platform 9 ¾.

"Excuse me," Virginia said, "Where is Platform 9 ¾?"

"Is this your first time, dear?" the woman asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Virginia said.

"Well," the woman said, "That's not a problem. It was Fred and George's first year at Hogwarts last year.

"It's true," one of the redheaded boys said.

"It's very simple." his mother explained, "You just go through the barrier in between Platforms 9 and 10. Best to do it at a run if you're nervous. Percy, can you go first to show her how it's done?"

"Sure, Mum," the oldest boy said, as he ran into the barrier and disappeared.

"You next, George," Percy's mother said pointing at one of the other boys.

"He's not George, I am," the boy standing next to him said.

"Honestly," the boy their mother called George said, "You call yourself our mother."

"Sorry, Fred," their mother said.

"Just kidding," the boy said as he passed his mother, "I am George."

Fred and George both went through the barrier and their mother turned towards Virginia.

"Go ahead, dear," the woman said, "There's nothing to be scared of."

Virginia clutched her trolley and started running towards the barrier. She flinched just before passing through it onto a new Platform that had the sign, Platform 9 ¾. In front of Virginia was a red steam engine, quite unlike the modern trains she had seen. Behind her came the woman who helped her and her two youngest children. Fred and George helped Virginia put her trunk on board the train, and she found herself a seat in a compartment.

The train set off towards Hogwarts at 11:00, and Virginia sat alone for the entire ride. At one point, a witch pushing a snack trolley came by, but Virginia didn't have any money to buy anything. It was fortunate she'd had the foresight to make herself a turkey and cheese sandwich before she left her house. After eating, Virginia shut all the blinds in her compartment and changed into her school uniform which included a white short-sleeved button-up shirt, a black skirt, a gray sweater vest, and a black robe. She had multiple sets packed in her trunk.

The train reached the Hogsmeade station in the evening. An older student passing by Virginia's compartment told her to leave her stuff there because someone else would bring it back to her dormitory after she was sorted. Virginia didn't know what sorted meant but was glad to not have to carry her heavy trunk and Sampson's owl cage without a trolley again. She stepped off onto the dimly lit station where she saw a large man calling all first-years to gather around him.

The man introduced himself as Hagrid and led all the first-year students across the lake in boats. The students were seated two to a boat, and Hagrid was at the front in a boat all to himself. Virginia shared her boat with a blonde-haired girl, and they got off at the castle where they met McGonagall. McGonagall led them through the entry hall and into a hallway where she told them to wait for her to get them. Virginia's boatmate tried to start a conversation with her.

"So," the girl said, "What house are you hoping to be sorted into?"

"I don't know what that means," Virginia said.

"Oh?" the girl asked, "Didn't your parents ever tell you?"

"My parents are muggles," Virginia said, "I'm the first member of my family to attend Hogwarts. I might end up being the only one too."

"I see," the girl said, "Well then, I hope we're not in the same house. I would hate to share a dormitory with a mudblood."

Virginia didn't know what that word meant, but she didn't like how it sounded. She supposed it was another way to say muggle-born, but she hoped the girl wouldn't use it again. Unfortunately, Virginia feared she might be out of luck.

"So," the girl said, "What's your name? I might as well know who I'll have to tutor in classes this year."

"I'm Virginia Hughes," Virginia said, "Don't worry, you won't have to tutor me. I think I can figure it out by myself, thank you very much. After all, you seem pretty confident."

The other first years were watching at this point, and upon hearing her say this, gave Virginia a look of admiration and surprise.

"Well," the girl said, "I'm Delilah Malfoy. Both my father and my Uncle Lucius think I'll be in Slytherin. All of my family has been. You seem to be a little smart Alek. I bet you'll be in Ravenclaw, Ginny."

"We'll see," Virginia said, "A little advice though. One, don't talk to me again, and two, never call me Ginny."

"Whatever," Delilah said, "I don't have to listen to you."

"That was brave," another girl said, "You seem more like the Gryffindor type to me."

"It was nothing," Virginia said, "I was just trying to save my neck."

Then, McGonagall came back and led the students through a door onto a platform in the Great Hall. There she introduced the first years to an old hat created by the founders called the Sorting Hat, which sorted the new students into the four houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. The Sorting Hat sang a song about the four houses.

It described Gryffindors as brave and loyal, Ravenclaws as smart and creative, Hufflepuffs as kind and hardworking, and Slytherins as ambitious and determined. Then, McGonagall called the students up one by one in alphabetical order to sit on a stool and try the Sorting Hat on. When it came to Virginia's turn, she felt a strange sensation. It was as if the hat was sorting through her thoughts.

"Ah," It said, "I see aspects of multiple houses in you. You could do well in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. From what you said in the hallway right before coming here, I think you should be in, SLYTHERIN!"

Everyone heard that last part, and there was a lot of cheering from the Slytherin table. Virginia could see that Delilah was surprised. Virginia thought it was because she had been sorted into the house Delilah also wanted to be sorted into. She didn't want to have Delilah as a roommate, so she hoped that the hat would put her new tormentor somewhere else. Unfortunately, Delilah was sorted into Slytherin a few minutes later.

Virginia was a little frustrated about it but took her mind off of it when the headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore said a few words and the feast started. The tables were filled with the most wonderful food. Virginia had mashed potatoes, ham, corn, rolls. She just ate as much as she could. After supper, it was time to head to the dormitories. Virginia followed the Slytherin prefects to the Slytherin common room in the dungeon. Then, she joined Delilah and three other girls in the first-year girls' dormitory.

"I can't believe it," Delilah said, "I can't believe a mudblood like you is in Slytherin. Slytherin should be for Purebloods only."

Looking at the other three girls, Virginia began to think that they agreed. She didn't get it. Why did it matter so much whether or not you came from a wizarding family? Virginia tried to push it out of her mind and get ready for bed, but Delilah had even encouraged the other girls to call her Ginny. Virginia hated being called Ginny.

She wanted to stick up for herself again, but she was too tired. Besides, it seemed like standing up to these girls wouldn't do anything. She decided to avoid them as best she could. As she went to bed that night, she started to wish that the Sorting Hat had placed her somewhere different instead. Maybe in one of the other houses, she could've had friends.