Disclaimer: I don't own any harry potter or original characters. I did change a few ages of harry potter character but it made more sense for the story this way.
Train rides and Boys
Hope's family decided that they would all accompany her to the train, much to her protests and subsequent embarrassment. They had received a letter the day before with the details about getting to the train. They used platform 9 ¾ which was magically placed between platforms nine and ten and they would have to pass through a wall to get there. Prof. Snape had also mentioned in the letter that they would be less likely to stand out if they went a little earlier and figured it all out with people around. The family took this advice to heart and arrived at the platform 45 minutes before the time they were going to get there. They found a slightly less visible section of the platform where they could still see the entrance just in case. Hope meanwhile stood a little in front of the group actively looking for the girl Daphne she had met when shopping. Jackson was sitting quietly by her side but poised ready to defend at all times. Something he started doing almost immediately after they had connected. A habit her family found very reassuring for when she would at school. When they had left Snape that day he had seen the dog and had informed Albus of the bond as soon as he got back to the castle. Albus had talked with the other professors and found them all accepting of the dog staying with her as long he didn't get in the way or cause any unnecessary distractions. So Jackson was given a trial period and then his following hope would be evaluated.
A few minutes after arriving at the station Hope saw Daphne walk around the corner and wanted to go right over to her. But she was slightly concerned that the girl might not remember their conversation and subsequent agreement to meet and ride the train together. She was abruptly taken out of her thoughts when she heard someone call her name and looked up to see Daphne walking right toward whom Hoped assumed her family and another group of people.
"Hope!" Daphne yelled again just before reaching the girl
"Hey Daphne, it's good to see you again. I assume this is your family." Hope responds gesturing the group of people behind Daphne
"Some yes." Daphne points to some people and gives some light introductions. The tall woman right behind her who looks like Daphne just older with darker hair is her mom and the man just to her right is her father. Her sister looks just like her and her mother but with blonde hair. Just after the introduction her sister who she finds out is named Astoria runs off to her friends. The other people with them are her friend Theo and his parents. Theo seems a little wary of Hope but she kind of says this coming knowing Hogwarts doesn't really get a lot of transfer students. The three chat for a bit and Hope can feel Theo start to settle a bit. Their families are all talking and it seems like they are all getting along fairly well. Hope can tell that her aunts and uncle are happy to have parents to ask their questions to and Marcel has taken Theo father off to the side a little probably talking about the set up of the school and any dangerous things have occurred there. The parents notice the platform getting rather full and let the kids know it's probably time to get on the train. Hope turns to Freya and gives her a massive hug when they separate she does the same thing to Rebecca. She then turns to Marcel planning to do the same but she looks at him and almost breaks into tears right then and there. She thought she was gonna make it through today without crying but that was becoming not possible. Hope had to look away from him for a second to gather her composure. When she looked back at him she almost started crying again. So instead of trying to stop it she ran to him and buried her head in his shoulder and hugged him tight. After Klaus died her and Marcel had gotten even closer than they were before. They had all lost Klaus and Elijah but Hope lost her Parents and Marcel lost the closest thing he had to a father in both Elijah and Klaus. It's something that bonded them more then the others having had a sibling like relationship with the men. Hope was able to confide in Marcel things she couldn't in the others and Hope was the only person who could fully understand the contradictory feelings of being raised by Klaus.
Hope finally let go of Marcel and they shared a look for a few minutes before she walked away to give a slightly less emotional goodbye to Kol and Davina who would be staying at the family home. With her goodbyes done she turns to Daphne and Theo to see them watching her finally goodbyes, clearly done with theirs, and gesturing for her to follow. Marcel carries her trunk behind them and helps her load it onto the train, Daphne and Theo's having already been loaded by their families, she waves goodbye to everyone and one last quick hug for Marcel she boards the train behind Daphne. She follows them to a compartment and sits next to the window opposite Theo. Daphne sits next to her and they start talking about the school. Theo adds some details here and there while they wait for the train to depart.
Once they are on their way Hope asks Daphne and Theo if there is anyone she should be aware of (Students or Staff) knowing that every school has some. Daphne tells her about the professors and their little quirks. Trelawney is very odd but she isn't taking divination so it shouldn't be a concern. She has already met Snape and Dumbledore. McGonagall is the transfiguration professor and deputy Headmistress. Sprout is usually found in the greenhouses or with Hufflepuff. And other little things Daphne said someone should have told her sooner. Theo agrees with the assessment and says he hopes that most of the professors are fine as long as you do not cause any trouble and get your work done. He did make a comment that roused her suspicion.
"Besides most of the professors are focused on Harry Potter to really notice much else anyway." Theo said slightly under his breath.
Hope confused looks at Theo "Who's 'Harry Potter' and why would he demand so much attention?"
Shocked by her question they start telling her about what has happened since Harry started at Hogwarts 4 years ago. The possessed teacher their second year. The massive killing snake in year three. Sirius escaping and a werewolf teacher in year four. Still slightly confused how one ordinary kid could attract attention. Sure hope has had her fair share but nothing in Hope's life has ever been ordinary. She expresses her confusion again and is met with blank stares. Daphne has asked her what Snape and Dumbledore told her and her family when they arrived in Britain. She said they talked about the school, her parents and what the school was like. She told them her parents died recently, how her father was an old friend of Albus and asked if she could enroll this year as a n opportunity to start over. Theo and Daphne were talking all this information in while also slightly cursing Dumbledore for bringing this girl into their world without giving her all the information. They told Hope about the war that started in Wizard Britain before they were born and how it was led on one side by a very strong and powerful. They didn't say what the war was about not sure where Hope would fall on the issue. They tell her about Harry's parents and the Halloween night all those years ago and how Harry survived but no one knows how. She gets it somewhat but is still a little lost if this guy who attacked the family is dead. Why is this kid still getting into so much trouble? To this Theo tells her that they assumed he's dead but there was nobody, and a lot of his followers are angry that he Harry survived so he has a lot of enemies. Hope can understand this kid a little better now. His problems are the result of adults in his life making decisions and him living with the consequences. Which is something she completely understands.
They start walking about other things like classes and the castle. She finds out that the stairs move sometimes and no one has figured a pattern. A lady comes by with a little trolley asking if they want anything and Daphne explains some of the candies to Hope. She buys 2 chocolate frogs, some Every Flavor Beans and a sugar quill. Daphne and Theo buy some candy and the trolley moves on. Theo sees that they are almost at the school and less the girls he will change in the bathroom so they can change in the compartment. He leaves and the girls close the curtains and lock the door to change into their school robes. When they are done they unlock the door and open the curtains. As Hope is opening the door she hits someone walking by. She turns to look at him and sees two redhead boys who are tall and almost completely identical. She apologizes for hitting one of them with the door and heads back into the compartment when Daphne calls after her.
The boys in question watch her walk back into the compartment and recognize the girl inside as Daphne Greengrass from Slytherin. They don't recognize the girl who opened the door though. They are still standing slightly in the doorway when they see Theo Nott walking up to them. He looks at them a little confused and heads into the same compartment as the girls. Not entirely surprising to the twins, as they are not really part of the Malfoy sycophants that occupy most of Slytherin and have in years past, due to the two's indifference, haven't been on the receiving end of many of their pranks. The boys are about to turn away and head back to their own compartment when a little crup runs out of the compartment and starts jumping at George's leg. Shortly after the mystery follows the dog and picks him up apologizes again for Jackson (the crup) and closes the door behind her. The twins head back down the corridor with thoughts of the dog and its possibilities for parking in Fred's head and images of a redhead mystery girl in George's.
When the train stops Daphne tells Hope that the school magically transports their pets and trunks to whatever dorm they end up in once they are sorted. She looks down at Jackson now aggressively following her through the crowd to get off the train and knows that won't be leaving her side anytime and told Daphne that he will be staying with her. Daphne and Theo share a look thinking that she will be stopped by a prefect or at the very least Hagrid. But that doesn't happen. Quite the opposite, when they lead Hope over to the first years Hagrid directs her to a boat and allows Jackson to follow. Once they are all loaded in Hagrid joins Hope in her boat and it's just the three of them. Watching their new friend off they join the rest of the students in the carriages.