Finally, September 1st came. This will going to be Catherine's first real experience of Hogwarts, it still feels unbelievable.
"Kate, get up now." Her mother knocked.
The girl opens her eyes, "what?"
"Get up, it's your first day at Hogwarts." Charlotte yelled through the door.
She stretched, "first day at Hogwarts.. FIRST DAY AT HOGWARTS!"
Catherine hurriedly jumps up from her bed to open the door. "Good morning, mummy!"
"Good morning, dear." She pats her daughter's head, "hurry up and wash yourself, Evelyn already picked out your outfit there," she points at the hanged clothes, "we'll eat breakfast together and leave as soon as possible because we got a train to catch, clear?"
Catherine grinned, "clear."
Like what her mother said, she washed herself, dried her hair with a drying charm (since it's faster that way), rushed to wear her clothes, and came down to eat.
Evelyn picked out a pair of white slim-fit turtle neck jumper and a beige checkered pinafore for her, then pairing it with some white medium long socks and brown lace shoes. For accessories, Evelyn gave Catherine a pair of brass earrings that looked like mini pinecones, pairing it with a beautiful brass necklace with a butterfly pendant. She also tied her hair down to a low ponytail.
Catherine left her school bag the normal size for her to actually carry it; inside the bag are the tiny trunk, her crystal wand that's inside the holster, a game boy (even though it wouldn't work in Hogwarts), a comic book, her drawing set, her colouring set, a bunch of pens, a notebook, a harmonica (gift from George), A History of Magic book, Hogwarts: A History book, and a bunch more subject books.
The family ate breakfast and headed to London.
At a quarter past 10 they arrived at Kings Cross station, "This is so exciting, but I need to find Harry to help him. What time will he arrive? Ah! 10:30."
"What are we waiting for, Kate?" Her father asked.
"Er.. just kinda nervous, let's wait a little bit more."
"When it reaches half past ten, we will be going." Her mother said sternly.
"Okay.."
15 minutes have passed, Charlotte was about to drag her daughter onto the station when a car dropped a boy alone carrying an owl in a cage and a ridiculously large amount of luggage. The boy gained Charlotte's attention, actually— everyone's attention. Catherine knew this was him, who else would be Harry James Potter other than this boy.
"Mummy, he's going to Hogwarts too, don't you think?" She said.
"Aw, that poor boy, why would his parents leave him alone." Catherine realised what's wrong about her mother's words, that wasn't his parents because they died, those were the Dursleys.
"He's leaving, I think it's better to speak with him." Stephen suggested.
The family followed the boy into the station, they saw him talking with a very confused and slightly annoyed guard. Catherine decided to interrupt them, "Hello? I have a question for you." She pointed at the boy. The guard left them and muttered about how the boy wasted his 'precious' time.
"Me? It's about my owl, isn't it?" The boy replied, he's quite skinny, as if he's not being fed well. "But the not quite funny thing is.. he is not fed well."
"No, actually— I have a question about where you will go. You see, because of the owl and the trolley, I'm guessing you're going to Hogwarts." The boy got surprised, finally someone who knew Hogwarts.
"Yes! Are you going too? You look like my age but you don't have your things.."
"I shrank it." She opened a pocket from her school bag and picked up a tiny piece of trunk. "A Professor taught me how to shrink and enlarge my stuff, I'm a muggleborn you see, so a staff of the school is required to lecture us about the secret society. How about you, what's your parentage?"
Harry wanted to ask about the shrinking and enlarging spell thing, but the girl asked a question. "Well, they said my mother was a muggleborn like you and my father was a pureblood but I'm not sure.." he looked sad at the thought of his parents. "He really included the 'was', I feel really bad, I should've avoided topics about parents. So you're a half-blood."
"Yeah, I guess."
"We really need to go now, or we'll miss the train. What's your name, by that way?"
"Harry, Harry Potter."
"Hm.. such a familiar name, I really need to act like it's 'familiar'. Meh, maybe 'cause it's common. My name's Catherine Clifford, you can call me Kate once we get close or if we become friends."
The boy followed the girl, he learns that she has her parents.
"What's your name, dear?" The woman asked, probably her mother.
"I'm Harry Potter." He said.
"I'm Charlotte, I believe you have met my daughter and even spoke with her?"
"Yes ma'am, I did."
"You don't have to call me 'ma'am', just call me Mrs. Clifford." He nodded.
"This is my husband." She holds the man beside her. "My name's Stephen, I'm Catherine's father."
"It's nice to meet you sir." The man liked the 'sir', he's probably used to that term.
Harry followed the family of three, they're now walking between the Platforms 9 and 10 until they stopped in front of a brick wall.
"What are we going to do with the brick wall?" He asked.
"Professor Mcgonagall told us that this is the entrance to Platform Nine and Three-quarters, she's a professor from Hogwarts that assisted us." Stephen explained.
"She told us to run straight into the wall and we'll see a train, a bit crazy isn't it?" He added.
"Daddy, I think we need to hurry up." Catherine reminded.
"Oh right— you go first, Harry. We'll quickly follow." Her father directed.
"Run straight and I suggest to close your eyes." Catherine told him as he went for it.
Harry disappeared into the wall, the muggles around didn't noticed so it was their turn. Before running straight to the wall, Catherine looked back and saw a pack of red-haired people, like a family. The plump woman or the mother of the pack says something, "The same with every year, packed with Muggles, of course. Come on, platform nine and three-quarters this way." They walk towards them, "It's the Weasleys!" She wanted to watch, but her parents grabbed her as they ran straight towards the wall.
They didn't crash obviously. Catherine looked at her surroundings, it was Platform Nine and Three-Quarters! There was the sign saying, Hogwarts Express eleven o'clock, and the scarlet steam engine beside the platform being boarded with several kids.
Surprisingly, Harry waited. She didn't want to assume that he was waiting for her it could be for the Weasleys even though it wouldn't make sense, but him looking and awkwardly smiling at HER proves that he was waiting for her. She just smiled back.
Catherine gave her farewells and kisses to her parents before they go back, she then quickly enlarges her trunk while he stares at the boy with locks surrounded by more kids.
"Let's leave our trunks here, they'll transport it to our dorms before we even get there." She poked his shoulder. "The trolley was taken away, and here's your owl." He takes Hedwig and notices Catherine's trunk is now the normal size.
"How did you do that? I didn't even see your wand!" He exclaimed.
She laughed, "I'm not a powerful witch that can do wand-less magic, Harry. I shrank it while you were looking away." She smirked.
"But I wanted to see you do magic."
"Don't worry, I'll show you later."
They finally boarded the train, Catherine wanted to go to the compartment where Harry originally went so he would still seat with Ron. When she found it Harry pulled her away, "Hey! What are you doing?" She shrieked. "I found an empty compartment there." He pointed at the indeed empty one 5 compartments away from the one she saw. "But I already found us one here—" he continued to drag her. "Ugh, fine."
The two 1st years entered the empty compartment and sat their arses down the cushioned seats.
"My full name is Catherine Jane M. Clifford, what about yours?" The boy moved his gaze from the window to the girl.
"Harry James Potter."
"So what Hogwarts house do you think you'll be sorted in?"
"I'm not sure, but I wouldn't want to be in Slytherin."
"Why not?"
"Because Hagrid said that most evil wizards and witches came from Slytherin, including Vol— You-Know-Who."
"That's such a stereotypical way of introducing Slytherin, don't you think? And Voldemort.. such a weird choice of name for a Dark Lord, it's quite funny."
"Yeah, and he gave me this cool scar but he also killed my parents."
"Harsh." Catherine sighed, "I'm sorry.." He just sadly smiled at her.
"The house—"
"Right, stay with the topic. So Slytherins, they're ambitious, cunning, and resourceful, so it makes sense if evil people such as Voldemort get sorted in there. If you've ever wanted to be evil and plan something like taking over the world, you have to be ambitious, cunning, and resourceful. Dark wizards and witches does not help others and is not chivalrous, they couldn't be in Gryffindor. They're also not fair, can't be in Hufflepuff. They also can't be in Ravenclaw, they are closed minded and Ravenclaws are not."
"Do you know who else was a Slytherin other than Voldemort?" She added.
"Err— I don't know."
"Merlin himself was a Slytherin."
"Merlin?"
"Merlin, one of the most powerful wizards that have ever lived. He defeated the terrible but great Morgana le Fay, half-sister of King Arthur. So now you know, Slytherin may had the most evil wizards as students but it doesn't mean it's a bad house."
"Okay.. fine I still don't think I would want to be sorted there."
"I mean, yeah. What's your reason?"
"I met a boy in Diagon Alley, he acts like my cousin and he wants to be in Slytherin so I don't want to be with him."
"Right, it's still not a good idea. One day, when Pureblood supremacists stop, Slytherin will not be an 'evil' house anymore. Anyways, I want to be sorted in Hufflepuff."
"Why Hufflepuff? Hagrid told me they were duffers."
"Another stereotypical description, Hagrid sounds like a nice guy buy he does describe the houses the stereotypical way."
"How do you describe Hufflepuff then?"
"Hufflepuffs are hardworking, patient, loyal, and fair. Helga Hufflepuff doesn't need specific abilities like Gryffindor's bravery, Ravenclaw's intelligence, and Slytherin's ambition. She accepts all students, but that's also the reason why they call it the house of leftovers, it's plain rude and disrespectful for one of the founders. I almost forgot, Newt Scamander was a Hufflepuff."
"You're right, maybe I do fit in Hufflepuff."
"Maybe, I could see you as hardworking and loyal. Are you patient though? Or fair? Trying to tease this mf."
"I'm quite a fair person, but—"
"You don't think you're patient?"
"Sort of."
"It's okay, you can be in a house and not possess ALL of its traits."
"Can you tell me about the other houses?"
"Sure! Gryffindors are brave, chivalrous, courageous, and they tend to help others. Ravenclaw, my second choice as a house, possesses the traits like intelligence, knowledge, planning ahead, and wit."
"I think Gryffindor could be my second choice after Hufflepuff."
"That could be true. We'll be great friends if we both got sorted in Hufflepuff."
"What will happen if we don't?"
"If I were to be sorted in Hufflepuff and you in Gryffindor, then we'll still be friends. Same with me in Ravenclaw and you in Hufflepuff, unless you started ignoring me."
"Why would I ignore you?"
"Because we'll be separated in different houses, housemates are considered as a family, so friends in the same houses are stronger than with a different house."
"Then I will never ignore you."
"Great!"
"But what if I got sorted in Gryffindor and you in Ravenclaw?"
"It'll be the same."
After the long conversation about Hogwarts houses, the two minded their own businesses. Harry continued to stare at the window, Catherine began reading the Transfiguration book.
Becoming bored reading the pages of the book, the girl spoke. "I'm going."
"Hey! Where are you going?"
"To change into my uniform and robes."
"Oh."
"You should change too, just close the blinds and lock the door, you can change in here."
"Okay.."
"Bye!"
While walking through the corridor, Catherine sees Ronald Weasley seating alone in the compartment they were meant to go in. "Poor Ron, if Harry didn't pulled me away, we should've been with him right now." She continued walking until she found a loo, not even a minute later, she steps out the loo already in her plain black uniform and robe. "Glad, I practiced that spell."
She walks back to their compartment and sees the blinds still closed, "Is Harry slow or am I just fast? Yeah, whatever." The girl knocks at the sliding door, Harry opened it, he have done changing but his collars are not folded right, the neck tie aren't done right.
"How are you so fast at changing?"
"Secret talent I guess." She shrugs. "You know you're uniform looks messy, right?"
"Er, where?" Catherine walks closer, fixes the collar of his shirt and redoes his tie. "Now that's better." She smiles.
"T-thanks.." he blushed.
Both of the kids sat down, Harry stared at the window again. Catherine started playing her game boy, Harry notices.
"Is that a game console?"
"Yes! It's a game boy."
"My cousin wanted one but it was too expensive for Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, so he didn't get one."
"What did he do?"
"He threw a tantrum and spilled tea all over the carpet."
"That's.. sad."
"Sad?"
"Someone throwing a tantrum over ridiculous things means they're not raised right."
"You're right, they raised Dudley so he started acting like his parents."
Both started a long conversation about the game boy and comics like what they did to the Hogwarts houses, Harry thinks that Catherine became cooler and cooler the more he knew about her.
Around half past twelve, they heard clattering outside in the corridor. A smiling dimpled woman slid back the compartment door and asked, "Anything of the trolley, dears?"
Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, and went out into the corridor. He bought some of everything. Catherine being simple only bought three chocolate frogs, two cauldron cakes, and two pumpkin pasties.
The boy wanted to share the treats he bought, but Catherine declined. She said, "keep the ones you can't finish and try giving it to others outside."
He did just what he was told and stepped outside the compartment. Harry found a red-haired boy alone in a compartment and offered him the sweets, they only had a small talk but he surely wants to befriend him.
Harry came back to their compartment and told Catherine his experience, "I met a boy named Ron, he got shocked by my name like the others I met before. He's nice and fun to talk to, he explained to me what the cards in the chocolate frogs meant. He had the Morgana and Merlin card, those two names you previously mentioned.
"You should stay with him, we already talked and know about each other, you should make more friends." Catherine smiled.
"Okay, but I'll stay with you for a few minutes."
With those few minutes, Catherine decided to draw Harry.
"Drawing him like how I drew Professor Mcgonagall, also staring at the window."
"Nose, eyes dang his eyes ARE GREEN, eyebrows, lips, ears, the scar, round frame glasses, and messy hair."
"You really have messy hair." She remarked.
Harry shook his head and turned his attention to the girl, "you can draw?"
"Yeah, and you have really messy hair. I think you should try the hair potion I've read about." The girl pulled at a book about a list of potions and started flipping through the pages R-S-T.
The girl found it and read, "Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and Scalp Treatment was a hair care potion and scalp treatment that was invented by Fleamont Potter. It was originally sold with the slogan 'Two drops tames even the most bothersome barnet'."
Harry got surprised by the name, Catherine sort of gasped. The last name 'Potter' is supposed to be familiar because he's literally Harry Potter, but because of this, Harry might think this is the reason why I think it's familiar, then I should follow.
"So this is how your name was familiar! I think this is your grandfather."
"Woah.." he responded.
"If it's really your grandfather then your grandfather was good at potions."
"Anyways— I'm done, I'll start colouring."
The boy watched as Catherine coloured his portrait while checking his face every minute for reference.
"Very green eyes, unruly raven black hair, black frame of the eyeglasses, pink lips, and slightly tan skin."
"He has a slight tan skin, I like it."
"Almost doneee..." she said while writing his full name and signing it with her signature. "Done!"
She was about to show Harry his finished portrait when a knock on the door interrupted, it gained both attention.
A round faced boy who looked tearful came in, "Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all?"
When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"
"He'll turn up," said Harry.
"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him.."
"I can't just accio the toad, that would be weird.."
"Wait! You can ask the—" Catherine tried telling but he already left.
"Aw, I'm too late.." She added.
"Why was he so bothered anyway?"
"Maybe because it was his pet and it was important to him."
"Right."
Finally, Catherine's got the time to show Harry his portrait. "1.. 2.. 3.. ta—" an interruption again.
The boy before came back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes like them.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.
"We've already told him we haven't seen it." said Harry.
"But I tried telling him to ask a prefect so they could summon the toad for you." Catherine said.
"That's actually a better idea than asking each compartment, thank you?"
"Catherine Clifford."
"I'm Hermione Granger, this one is Neville." She pointed at the round faced boy behind her.
"Neville Longbottom." He shyly said.
"What about you?" She pointed at Harry.
"Harry Potter."
"Are you really?" Hermione asked. "I know all about you"
Catherine interrupted, "I think you should ask the prefect by now."
"Oh, yeah. You should go first, Neville." The boy left, the girl was about to follow when she saw Catherine pull out her crystal wand.
"That's your wand?!" Hermione and Harry synchronised.
"Right, I forgot to tell you about this."
She proceeded to explain how, when, and where she got the wand.
"This is extraordinary!" Hermione exclaimed.
"It is.." Harry dazed.
"Hermione, I think Neville is waiting for you somewhere in there. We should be friends, I also want to be friends with Neville." Hermione smiled and walked off.
"Now, this is your portrait." Catherine duplicated the drawing like what Professor Mcgonagall previously did to her own portrait.
"Where did you learn that?"
"Professor Mcgonagall."
"Oh."
The compartment door slid open again, but it wasn't Neville nor Hermione, it was three boys. Harry recognised the middle one, it was the boy that acted like his cousin from Madam Malkin's robe shop. Catherine knows it was Draco Malfoy.
"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"
Harry was about to say yes when Catherine barged in, "No, he is not Harry Potter. His name is Daniel Radcliffe, and my name's Emma Roberts. We're muggleborns and the famous Harry Potter is not in our compartment, now bye biatch!"
The blonde boy scoffed, "I'm sorry?"
"Apology accepted." She slid the door close then locked it.
Harry stared at her, he was really impressed, he wished he was that sassy.
The door opened again, this time with the pale boy's face getting redder than Ron's hair and the two large boys beside him getting angrier. Catherine seemed to forget that an unlocking charm exists.
"Right, Alohomora exists!" She did forgot.
"YOU DARE TO DISRESPECT ME! I'M A PUREBLOOD! A MALFOY! YOU'RE ALL JUST FILTHY LITTLE MUD—" She closed it again.
But it opened again, "I'M DRACO MALFOY, I AM MUCH MORE SUPERIOR THAN Y—" and she rolled her eyes closed it again.
It opens once again, "BUNCH OF FUCKING MUDBLOODS!" This time she gasped, but Harry knows it's only an act to humiliate the boy. Malfoy's screaming gained a lot of attention, other students were peaking from their compartments through the slightly opened door, the prefects looking angry and crossing their arms, lastly the Slytherin prefects looking rather disappointed because they know the boys would end up in Slytherin due to their heritage.
Draco looked at the amount of people watching him, he looked back to the compartment of 'Daniel Radcliffe' who he knows was actually Harry Potter and 'Emma Roberts' the unknown girl. He saw her smirking and realised what he had done, she tricked him.
The prefects took the three boys away and apologised to Daniel and Emma, she continued to use the name for the rest of the ride. Hermione, Neville, and Ron who knows their actual name was laughing their arse off internally..
Neville thanked Catherine for telling him about asking a Prefect, he also agreed to be her friend.
"That's one crazy experience.." Harry commented.
"I call this the most amazing ride!" Catherine exclaimed.
"Yeah.. a brilliant ride." He smiled in utter relaxation and happiness.
