THE JOURNEY TO HOGWARTS

A/N: Sorry Zodiacsklaroline I have already planned the crux of my story. It is not possible to incorporate another group as their friends, at the moment. Thanks again to all the people who is showing interest to this story, i am very much open to suggestions, and will incorporate them if possible

Natasha spent days leading to September 1st, mostly in her room. Her relatives fearing that she will do something if she was angry, let her keep all the books with her. She spent hours reading books, which she got from Diagon Alley. The books gave her fascinating facts about the world of magic. Her school textbooks had many spells, which fascinated her. She wanted to try some of them, but she had read that underage children cannot perform magic outside the school. Potions was the subject that fascinated her the most, as she was fascinated in chemistry in her previous school and was very good at cooking. After she read her potions book, she realized that the subject was a mixture of chemistry and cooking. The history of the wizarding world, was as crazy as its muggle counterpart. Filled with bloody wars between wizards and goblins, it was termed as goblin rebellions, she knew the world she was going into was not so different from muggle one. She discovered more about the dark wizard, who killed her parents. He had terrorized the wizarding world for many years, before meeting his supposed end at Godrik's Hallow. Many of his followers were captured, but some of them managed to keep out pleading that they did not know what they were doing. The books never mentioned any of the names of the followers. She only knew that the group called themselves Death Eaters. All the fake stories the people had written about her made her laugh, and she wondered how they would react when they come to know about her.

On august 31st, Natasha requested her uncle to drop her at King's Cross the next day. Her uncle halfheartedly agreed, but started laughing when Natasha told about the platform number. " Platform number 9 3/4th? There is no platform like that, girl.", her uncle laughed. But Natasha knew how to get into the platform, so she did not say anything. She had started packing her things 2 days before and finished by 10 PM on 31st. On 1 st September she got up early in the morning, and got ready early. The breakfast went quiet as usual. Uncle Vernon was dropping her when he was going to take Dudley to hospital. He had fallen from his bike and got his leg fractured. She somehow fit her trunk in the back of the car, and sat in the back. It was very congested, but she did not mind. She reached King's Cross at 10:30, and her uncle accompanied her till the platform 9. When they reached the place, her uncle said," Well girl, here is platform 9 and 10. Your platform should be somewhere in between these two". Laughing like a maniac her uncle went, leaving her alone in the platform. But she knew how to get there. She knew that she should avoid people seeing her going through, as it will be highly suspicious. Just then she saw a family of red headed people, who were carrying trolleys identical to her. She could not avoid listening to them.

"- packed with Muggles, of course -". The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. She was very happy to find someone, who was like her. Natasha pushed her cart after them. "Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother. "Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go...?". "You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first." What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Natasha watched, as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said. "I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother. Can't you tell I'm George?". "Sorry, George, dear.". "Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he also went with him. Even the brother who looked, the eldest did the same thing. Natasha felt relieved that she heard the professor correctly. Then the woman looked around again to see anyone was looking, and noticed Natasha. "Hey!", she called out to Natasha," what are you doing here alone, dear. Where are your parents?". Natasha walked towards the woman without hesitation. "They ..they are de-dead, ". The woman gave her a sad look and said, "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too." She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose. "Do you know how to get into the platform dear?", she asked. "Yes, i do mam", Natasha replied. "Please call me Mrs Weasley, dear", the kind woman replied. "You go before us, dear so that if anything happens we can help". She pushed her trolley around and stared at the barrier. She started to walk toward it. People jostled her on their way to platforms nine and ten. Natasha walked more quickly. she was going to smash right into that barrier and then she'd be in trouble. - leaning forward on her cart, she broke into a heavy run - the barrier was coming nearer and nearer - she wouldn't be able to stop - the cart was out of control - she was a foot away - she closed her eyes ready for the crash. But she passed right through the barrier, when she opened her eyes, she was in another platform which was as crowded as the previous one. It was full of people like her carrying trolleys, with their families.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Natasha looked behind her and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over pushed her cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. She passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again. "Oh, Neville," she heard the old woman sigh. It all made Natasha very happy and sad at the same time, as she was happy that she was going to meet many new people, but sad that her parents were not alive to see her go. Natasha pressed on through the crowd until she found an empty compartment near the end of the train.

She put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave her trunk toward the train door. She tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice she dropped it painfully on her foot. She knew it was very difficult to do, as she was very skinny and small for her age. "Want a hand?". It was one of the red-haired twins she'd followed through the barrier. "Yes, please," Natasha pleaded. "Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!" With the twins' help, Natasha's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment. "Thanks," said Natasha smiling. "What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Natasha's lightning scar. "Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you?". "She is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Natasha. "if you are talking about Natasha Potter, yes i am her.", Natasha told with a smile. The twins looked shocked but before they could say anything, a voice came floating in through the train's open door. "Fred! George! Are you there?".

"Coming, Mom.", they told together. With a last look at Natasha, the twins hopped off the train. Natasha went and sat near a window. She could hear the family's mother had just taken out her handkerchief. "Ron, you've got something on your nose." The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose." ."Mom - geroff" He wriggled free. "Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins. "Shut up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" said their mother. "He's coming now." The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Natasha noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it. "Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -""Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise.

"You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once -"

"Or twice -"

"A minute -"

"All summer -"

"Hey, Mom, guess what. Guess who we just met on the train.". Natasha leaned back quickly so they couldn't see her looking. "You know that red haired girl who was near us in the station? Know who she is?". "Who?" ."Natasha Potter!", the twins replied. " Is she really, Fred? How do you know?", their mother asked. "Asked him. Saw her scar. It's really there - like lightning.". "Poor dear - no wonder she was alone, I wondered, why she was alone." ."Never mind that, do you think she remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?", one of the twins asked. "Please do not ask her that, she might not want to be reminded of that bad day", their mother replied. Natasha was very great full to that woman for this. She did not remember anything about that day, let alone you -know-who's face. A whistle sounded. "Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry. "Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls.

The train began to move. Natasha saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved. Natasha watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Natasha felt a great leap of excitement. She didn't know what she was going to but it had to be better than what she was leaving behind. The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in. "Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Natasha. "Everywhere else is full." Natasha shook her head and the boy sat down. Natasha did not mind as she did not want to spend the whole journey alone. He glanced at Natasha and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Natasha, saw he still had a black mark on his nose. She took her potions book from her trunk, and began to read.

"Hey, Ron." The twins were back. "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there.". Right," mumbled Ron. "Natasha," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then.". They left before Natasha could even look out of her book. "Weird," she thought, "that was a seriously brief introduction". They seemed very nervous to even speak to her. "Are you really Natasha Potter?" Ron blurted out. Natasha nodded. "Oh -well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got - you know..." He pointed at Natasha's forehead. Natasha pulled back her hair to show the lightning scar. Ron stared. Natasha felt a little uncomfortable, and said "please don't ask me anything about that night, i do not remember anything except a lot of green light. "Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Natasha for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again. Natasha continued reading her book.

After some time, Natasha asked, to start a conversation, "Are all your family wizards?". "Er - Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him.". "So, you must know loads of magic already.". "I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?". "Horrible -well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers.". "Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat.". Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which was asleep. "His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff - I mean, I got Scabbers instead." Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.

Natasha felt sorry for him, and she told about her life. " I never knew what i was until i got the letter from the school ", she told. "One of the teachers had to come to introduce me to our world.". Ron looked stunned at this, and he was at loss for words. " My uncle and aunt had told me; my parents had died in a car crash. Only after i got the letter they told me, my parents were murdered by Voldemort", Natasha told. Ron gasped. "You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people -". "Hey! I don't think there is any problem with someone's name! It's not like saying a swear word, is it?", Natasha asked. "Everyone are even scared of hearing his name in our world. So i think you should stop saying his name, unless you want people getting scared to death.", Ron said. "OK ", said Natasha reluctantly. Natasha went back to reading her book. Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?" Natasha who did not bring any breakfast, leapt to her feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Natasha went out into the corridor.

What she had were Bettie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Natasha had never seen in her life. She had read about many of these things and decided to buy some of everything. Natasha went back to her compartment and shared all the sweets with Ron. She got her first chocolate frog card, and it was Albus Dumbledore. She had read about him in many of the books, but she still read her card.

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

When she turned the card around, she found that the person had disappeared. She knew that people in the magical photographs did not stand in one place, so it was not shocking for her. "Ron, did you know that the people in muggle photos never move around?", she asked. "Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. She then opened the every flavour beans. They both got all kinds of good and even disgusting flavours including toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end of a funny grey one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Natasha had passed on platform nine and threequarters came in. He looked tearful. "Sorry," he said, "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 Natasha. Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him..." He left. "Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk.". "That is rude Ron, you can't talk about other people's pets like that!", Natasha said. Ron's face reddened but did not say anything.

The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap. "He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..." He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end. "Weird. We are not supposed to do magic outside school, are we? May be being in a train to school does not count as outside. ", she thought. Ron had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes. "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 Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand. Natasha felt that it was a very rude reply but did not tell anything.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." She sat down. Even Natasha was eager to see it. Ron looked taken aback. "Er - all right." He cleared his throat. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow.". He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed grey and fast asleep. Natasha knew it was a completely fake spell and struggled not to laugh. "Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard - I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?".

"By heart? The whole book? ", Natasha thought. Even she had read all the books and learned the spells in her mind. She did not like to tell everyone that she did.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Natasha Potter," said Natasha. "Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.".

"Oh.", Natasha said having read one of those books too.

"Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon.". And she left, taking the toadless boy with her. "Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. Natasha was a bit furious then. "He is a really rude boy.", she thought. "My brothers were in Gryffindor you know", the boy asked. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin.". "What is the problem with it?", Natasha asked.

"You-know-who and most of his followers were from that house", Ron said. "Oh", she said. But Natasha knew that, that alone will not make a house bad, that will be stereotyping, and she hated stereotyping. "So, what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?" Natasha was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school. Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles - someone tried to rob a high security vault.".

Natasha stared. "Really? What happened to them?". "Nothing, that's why it's such big haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get around Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked. " I know about quidditch, but i have not started following the matches", Natasha said. "oh!" Ron said, and started telling about his favorite team 'Chudley Cannons'. As he was telling more about the players, the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.

Natasha recognized Draco Malfoy, the boy she met at Diagon Alley. "Well, hello", she said smiling, "Draco, isn't it?". Draco was accompanied by 2 other boys, both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of him, they looked like bodyguards. "Well, yes. I see you recognize my name, Potter", Draco said. "Hey Ron, meet Draco Malfoy, he was the first Hogwarts student i met", Natasha introduced. Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. It was evident that Ron did not like him. Draco Malfoy looked at him. "Think my name's funny, do you?", Draco asked. "No need to ask you who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford.". He turned back to Natasha. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He held out his hand to shake Natasha's.

"Hey, we can all be friends you know", she told to both Ron and Draco. "I am not interested in being friends with people like him", Ron said angrily. "Ron, don't be a jerk!", Natasha said. "Likewise, Weasley. I don't want to be friends with trash like you", Draco said.

"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair. "Oh, you're going to fight us, are you, Weasley?" Malfoy sneered. "Enough, both of you", Natasha shouted, but they did not back down. "Leave from here now!", Ron shouted. "But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some." Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron - Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell. Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle. Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Natasha was furious of all this, she did not want people fighting like this. She just sat on her seat saying nothing. A minute later, Hermione Granger had come in. "What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail. "I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Natasha. She was still angry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No - I don't believe it - he's gone back to sleep-" And so he had.

"You guys should not have fought you know! Why can't we all be friends?", Natasha asked not hiding her anger. "I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side.". "Still! that does not mean that he is one too! does it?", Natasha asked. Ron was at loss of words, so he turned to Hermione and asked, "Can we help you with something?". "You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there.", Hermione said and went.

Natasha went to the toilet to change, while Ron changed inside the compartment. Just as she returned, A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.". Ron took all the remaining sweets and pocketed it. Natasha knew that there was going to be a big feast at school. She did not bother to tell this to Ron, as she was angry on him for earlier.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped.