1st September
Dear Diary,
Merlin's pants. I can't believe I left you at home when we rushed for the train! We had to go back a few times to get Scabbers, and fireworks and all this other stuff everyone forgot. I felt vaguely uneasy, like part of me had been left behind and then I realized in the car that I had forgotten you! I'm so glad I remembered! I can't think what I would do without you!
We ended up being a bit late for the train... we got there at pretty much exactly eleven o'clock. Ron and Harry came after me, so they must have taken a different carriage.
I've only been on the train for an hour but I'm already missing Mum and Dad. I've never been away from home for more than five days on our Year 5 camp to Arrow Head. But since that was only 10 miles from home and there was a wizard settlement as well as the Muggle one, that doesn't really count.
I suppose that once I get settled in at school it will be fine because I'll be busy. I'll send lots of owls if Percy isn't using Hermes for bloody 'career enquiries' at the Ministry.
It's a bit lonely here- all the carriages were occupied by the third-years and older so I had to search for a while to find one without older kids. I really want to find some people my own age, but maybe they're all hiding out in the bathrooms in fear.
So at the moment I'm in the last carriage- near the boys' bathrooms, ugh- with a weird-looking blonde girl and this tiny little boy with a camera and a toad. The girl is reading a book called 'The Search for Snorkacks' and the boy obsessively taking pictures of EVERYTHING, including the toad, the windowsill, the luggage racks, the trolley lady, his shoes, me, the window, the seat and the chocolate frog card, of all things. I might ask him about it.
Okay, it makes a bit more sense now. He's a new kid, Colin, and a Muggle-born. He didn't actually tell me, but when he asked if we could have a picture together- in a shrill voice- we ended up talking and he showed me some pictures from home. The pictures didn't move! I thought his parents were just nervous, but when I noticed that and that their clothing was like Hermione's parents, I guessed. Then he kept yabbering away about his family life so I didn't even need to guess. He's a bit annoying- I've been writing this and he's just kept talking without even noticing- but he seems okay and I don't have any friends yet, so I shouldn't burn my broomsticks yet. The other girl just stared at him with HUGE eyes and said 'Muggle-borns are statistically more likely to develop polka pox. It's what happens when Wrackspurts shed their skin and the tiny magic particles mix with dust and get breathed in.' Then she kept reading her book.
She seems a bit loony to be honest! But she seems nice too, though I've never heard of Snorcacks or whatever they are. Everyone I've met so far seems to be so kind to me!
We're getting off in about ten minutes- but I don't want to go! I'm really nervous about the Sorting- what if I'm not in Gryffindor?- so I'd much rather just sit here and write my diary. Got no choice though!
See you after the Sorting!
Love Ginny xx