Harry and Selena's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of them he wouldn't stay in the same room since Selena kept scaring him, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut the twins in their cupboard, force them to do anything, or shout at them unless Selena annoyed them too much. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry or Selena in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.
Harry and Selena kept to their room, with Harry's new owl and Selena's kitten Coco for company. He had decided to call the owl Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic. Their school books were very interesting.
They lay on their bed, reading late into the night well Harry did, Selena flick through hers but she can recall everything that she read, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice for Coco to play with. Every night before they went to sleep, Harry and Selena ticked off another day on the piece of paper they had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.
On the last day of August they thought they'd better speak to their aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, they went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. "yo Uncle Vernon" Selena said while waving her hand in front of her uncle's face to get his attention. Well if it didn't he sure did when Dudley screamed and ran from the room. "I never seen him run so fast" she said to Harry.
"err get out of face girl." Uncle Vernon said while he pushed her out of his way so he could continue watching tv.
"Er — Uncle Vernon?" Harry said trying to get his attention again.
Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.
"Er — my sister and I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to — to go to Hogwarts."
Uncle Vernon grunted again.
"Would it be all right if you gave us a lift?"
Grunt. "well I am guessing that is a yes" Selena said while walking towards the door.
"Thank you."
He was about to follow his sister when Uncle Vernon actually spoke stopping Selena at the door.
"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"
"No, but that would be so cool if there was magic carpets, image that flying around England on magic carpets. Selena said while walking back into the room to stand next to her brother.
"Where is this school, anyway?" Ignoring what she said.
"I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the first time.
"It's in Scotland" Selena said remembering from one of the books she skim read the other day.
Harry pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.
"We just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.
His aunt and uncle stared so did Selena, as she never looked at her ticket properly.
"Platform what?"
"Nine and three-quarters."
"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters." Which is true
"It's on our tickets."
"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you guys to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."
"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.
"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."
"No, keep it on him, it's too funny to get rid of." Selena said. "Can we at least take a picture of him with it I want to remember him with a tail for the rest of my life."
Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep, so he shook Selena awake, who cursed sleepily but grew excited when she realised what day it was.
He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes —he'd change on the train. Selena followed suit, putting on a pair of black skinny jeans and a green jumper and putting her hair in a ponytail. They checked their Hogwarts list yet again to make sure they had everything they needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage and Coco in her cat carrier, and then Harry paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up, while Selena was hanging upside down from the bed.
"Can't wait till we get there, ooh I hope we make friends there" Selena always wanted friends, someone to talk to besides her brother. That's the one of the things she looking forward to when they get to Hogwarts.
Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car along with Selena's equally heavy one, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Selena, and they had set off.
They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Aunt Petunia did the same with her niece's one.
Selena thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.
"Well, there you are. Platform nine—platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"
He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.
"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. "What you just going to leave us here, on our own. What if someone comes and murder us and then what. Who's going to be there to annoy you guys because I don't think Mrs Figg is going to do it." Selena said worriedly when she saw there was no platform 9 ¾.
Harry and Selena watched the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing.
Harry's mouth went rather dry, while Selena shook nervously. What on earth were they going to do? They were starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. Harry decided to go and ask somebody while Selena stood with their luggage. She knew no one could help them as no one believed in witches and magic, so how the hell are they suppose to know where the platform is and how they are going to get there. 'Stupid Hagrid, couldn't he tell us where the stupid platform is so I don't have to look like a freaky weirdo standing here looking lost with an owl and a kitten.' She thought. "What you all looking at idiots haven't you ever seen an eleven year old looking lost before? She shouted at everyone who stopped and stared at her. She gotten annoyed and pissed off looks from them but she didn't care, she was worried about not finding the platform and not be able to go to Hogwarts.
Harry came back to where his sister was waiting after asking the guard where platform and any trains leaving at 11 o'clock. The guard just strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic, but his sister was almost hyperventilating, which was unlike herself. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, they had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and no idea how to do it; they were stranded in the middle of a station with two trunks they could hardly lift, two pockets full of wizard money, a kitten and a large owl.
Harry started thinking about the way they got into Diagon Alley. 'Mm maybe we have to do something similar to that' he thought. He was about to get his wand out but Selena stopped him as she saw a group of people just passed behind them and Selena caught a few words of what they were saying.
"— packed with Muggles, of course —"
She swung round and nudged Harry, who copied her. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair.
Each of them was pushing a trunk like the twins' in front of him — and they had an owl.
Hearts hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them and Selena followed. They stopped and so did the siblings, just near enough to hear what they were saying.
"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.
"Shouldn't she know what platform they have to go to, considering the boys look like they already attending the school" Selena whispered to Harry. "Shh" he replied trying to listen to the family.
"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.
Harry and Selena watched, careful not to blink in case they missed it — but just 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.
"Wow that's so cool"
"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 must have done so, because a second later, he had gone — but how had he done it? Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there — and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.
There was nothing else for it.
"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.
"Hello, dears," she 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.
"Yes," said Harry. "The thing is — the thing is, we don't know how to —"
"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Selena nodded.
"Not to worry," she said. "All you both have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."
"Er — okay," said Harry.
He pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.
He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble — leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run — the barrier was coming nearer and nearer — he wouldn't be able to stop — the cart was out of control — he was a foot away — he closed his eyes ready for the crash — It didn't come… he kept on running… he opened his eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it, He had done it.
"Oh my god, that was awesome," Selena gasped as she emerged next to him and Harry smiled.
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour 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 trunks.
The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."
"Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh.
A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.
"Give us a look, Lee, go on."
The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.
Harry and Selena pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot. Even with Selena helping, it still wouldn't go in.
"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins they'd followed through the barrier.
"Yes, please," Harry panted.
"Oi, Fred! C'mere and help!"
With the twins' help, Harry and Selena's trunks were at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.
"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.
"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.
"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you —?"
"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.
"What?" said Harry.
"Harry Potter." chorused the twins.
"Oh, him," said Harry.
"I mean, yes, I am."
"Gosh Harry, are you that stupid forgetting who you are?" which attracted the attention of the two red headed twins.
"Who are you?" the first twin asked looking at Selena.
"His awesome, better looking and adorable twin sister Selena Potter" she said, trying to not feel upset that the twins knew her brother and not her.
"What? Harry Potter does not have a twin sister" the second twin said, and with that the horrible feeling of jealousy, which was the first time she felt that emotion about her brother.
"Well I think I should know I have been living with him for the whole of my life" she replied pushing the jealousy away. It's not Harry's fault that no one knew about her.
"Ok cool, nice to meet you. By the way do you have a cool scar as well" the first twin asked.
"yeh I do" she replied lifting her fringe up.
The two boys gawked at them, and Harry felt himself turning red, while Selena went slightly pink. Then, to their relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.
"Fred? George? Are you there?"
"Coming, Mom."
With a last look at Harry and Selena, the twins hopped off the train.
Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Selena sat opposite him also looking out the window.
Their 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 Harry noticed a red and gold badge on his chest with the letter P on it.
"Wonder what that means," Selena murmured.
"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 —"
"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect. Selena started giggling from what the twins just said.
"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.
"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term — send me an owl when you get there."
"err how can she pick favourites from all her kids, she should give them equal treatment by getting them all new robes" Selena mumbled. She hated when parents give one child special treatment and not the other as the Dursleys used to do that between the twins and Dudley.
She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.
"Now, you two — this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've — you've blown up a toilet or —"
"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."
"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."
"It's not funny. And look after Ron."
"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."
"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.
"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"
Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking and Selena smirked.
"You know that black haired boy who was near us in the station? And that auburn haired girl? Know who they are?"
"Who?"
"Harry Potter and his twin sister Selena"
Harry heard the little girl's voice.
"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see the, Mom, eh please…I didn't know he has a sister, pleeease"
"You've already seen them, Ginny, and the poor boy and girl aren't something you goggle at in a zoo. Are they really, Fred? How do you know?"
"Asked them. Saw their scars, even his sister has one. They're really there — like lightning."
"Poor dears— no wonder they were alone, I wondered. They were ever so polite when they asked how to get onto the platform."
"Never mind that, do you think they remember what You-Know-Who looks like?"
Their mother suddenly became very stern.
"I forbid you to ask them, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though they need reminding of that on their first day at school."
"All right, keep your hair on."
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."
"We'll send you a Hogwarts' toilet seat."
"George!"
"Only joking, Mom."
The train began to move. Harry 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.
Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry and Selena felt a great leap of excitement. They didn't know where they were going to — but it had to be better than what they were leaving behind.
Selena moved to the seat next to the compartment door just as the door of the compartment slid open and the youngest red headed boy came in.
"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry and next to Selena. "Everywhere else is full."
Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose and Selena smirked as she saw it too.
"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.
"Harry, Selena" said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley."
"Another pair of twins," their brother sighed and the Potter twins flashed him a wide grin. Or in Selena's case, a small smile.
"And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."
"Bye," said Harry, Selena and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.
"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.
Harry nodded, while Selena just looked at him, annoyed that he is ignoring her.
"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 Harry's forehead.
Harry pulled back his hair to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.
"So that's where You-Know-Who —?"
"Yes," said Harry, "but we can't remember it."
"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.
"Well — we remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."
"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.
"What am I, chop liver" Selena sighed still annoyed about being ignored.
"Who are you?" asked Ron, who really just wanted to talk to Harry.
"This is my sister, Selena" Harry replied.
"But..."
"Yes I am, as I said to your brothers I think I would know that I am his sister or not" she cut him off before he asked.
"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry quickly, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him and before Selena pisses him off and leaves them.
"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," Selena assumed, thinking that she should try out this boy as she got the feeling that her brother wanted to make friends with.
The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.
"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" Harry replied.
"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."
Wow, poor Ron Selena thought. He's got a major inferiority complex. She wanted to try and make friends with him but it feels like he is only talking to her brother and ignoring her. But she waited and see if he would include her in the conversation.
"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 gray 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.
Selena felt sorry for Ron and his family but not too much as he was still only focusing on her brother and Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he and his sister had never had any money in their life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about them having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.
"… and until Hagrid told us, we didn't know anything about being a witch or wizard or about my parents or Voldemort —"
Ron gasped.
"What?" said Selena trying to be included in the conversation.
"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people —"
"We're not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "We just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn… I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class." Selena sighed and patted her brother on the knee and he pouted.
"You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough," Ron said, grinning at the twins' exchange.
While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.
Harry realised that his sister is feeling left out so he included her into the conversation. Ron also included her as well but still mainly talking to Harry.
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?"
Harry and Selena, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to their feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Selena gave her brother some money and Harry went out into the corridor.
He and his sister had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that they had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry — but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.
Ron and Selena stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.
"Hungry, are you?"
"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty. Selena selected a cauldron cake and moaned with pleasure as she took a huge bite.
Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."
"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on —"
"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."
"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all the twins' pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten). Selena smiled at her brother's kindness.
"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs.
"They're not really frogs, are they?" Selena asked. They were starting to feel that nothing would surprise them.
"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."
"What?"
"Oh, of course, you two wouldn't know — Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect — famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."
Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card, giving it to his sister, who smiled. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and moustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.
"So this is Dumbledore!" said Selena.
"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa — thanks —"
Selena turned over her card and read:
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.
She snorted. Chamber music and tenpin bowling? Harry snorted too.
She turned the card back over and saw, to her astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.
"He's gone!" Harry exclaimed, staring at it.
"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron.
"He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her… do you want it? You can start collecting."
Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped. "Help yourself," said Selena, trying to be nice.
"But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos," Harry explained.
"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"
Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him and his sister a small smile from the seat where Selena had put him down. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry and Selena couldn't keep their eyes off them. Soon they had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. Harry finally tore his eyes away from the Druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.
"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavour, they meanevery flavour — you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavoured one once."
"And how would he know what a booger tastes like?" Selena smirked and Ron snorted with laughter.
He picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.
"Bleaaargh — see? Sprouts."
They had a good time eating the Every Flavour Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper. Selena got chocolate, blood, broccoli, dirt, butter, mushroom, curry, wood, raspberry, blackberry and pineapple.
The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.
There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry and Selena had passed on platform nine and three-quarters 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 Selena, who liked this boy for some reason.
"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him…"
He left and Selena stood up, saying she was going to help him find his toad.
"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."
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.
"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway —"
He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back with Selena, 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.
Selena met her when she was on the way back to the cabin and from first impression she didn't like her. She hated people who were bossy and think they know more then you.
"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.
"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."
She sat down with Selena 'err I really don't like her' she thought. 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 gray and fast asleep.
"Are you sure that's a real spell?" Selena asked. It didn't sound like a spell but then again she never heard a real spell before so she can't really judge him.
"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?" the girl said very fast.
'She so annoying err someone shut her up, I guess I am right she is a know it all, I bet she's a teacher's pet' Selena though
Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.
"Harry Potter," said Harry.
"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course and your sister — 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."
"Are I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.
"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione.
"Who are you" Hermione asked Selena. 'Err here we go again everyone knows Harry and not me"
"I am Selena, Harry's twin sister"
"No you're not"
"Yes I am"
"No you're not"
"Yes I am"
"No you're not"
"Yes I am"
"I would know, I have read all the books and not once did they mention that Harry Potter, the boy who lived, has a twin sister."
"Well I should know that I am his twin sister as I have been living with him and know everything about him. You should not believe everything you read in books they can be miss leading or written with completely load of shit that isn't real." She replied angrily.
Hermione had a shock and offended look on her face. She couldn't believe that Selena just said that about books. The boys were just looking at them with a shock expression on their faces. Hermione chosen to ignore her and carry on talking like a know it all.
"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 toad less boy with her. Harry smiled at Selena, pleased that she had already made friends, well one friend Neville. He already knew that his sister and Hermione aren't friends as he knew she hated people who think they know everything.
"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," Ron said. Selena nodded in agreement."I don't think that girl ever stops to breathe once she's at it," Selena added. This time, Ron nodded. He realized he was still holding his wand and he threw it back in his trunk.
"Stupid spell—George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."
"Well from what I got from meeting your brothers, I don't think you should have trust anything they tell you, especially spells" Selena said. She got a feeling that they would get along really well.
"What house are your brothers in?" Harry asked.
"Gryffindor," Ron answered. He seemed to be a bit gloomy again.
"Mum 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."
"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?" Selena rolled her eyes, 'it's just a name'
"Yeah," he said, looking depressed.
"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lights," Harry said, obviously trying to cheer him up.
"So what do your older brothers do now that they've left, anyway?" harry asked wondering what wizards did once they left school. Selena also was interested in what they did as well.
"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," Ron said. He looked excited when he mentioned it.
"So there are real, dragons I mean. Selena asked.
"yeh they are but they are illegal in England. Ron replied
"Wicked"
"Did you hear about Gringotts, Harry? It's been in the Daily Prophet. You don't get that with the Muggles, do you? Anyway, someone tried to rob a high security vault." Ron said.
Harry stared at Ron so did Selena.
"Really? What happened to them?"
"Nothing. That's why it's big news. They didn't get caught. Dad says it must've been a very powerful wizard to break into Gringotts, but they don't reckon they took anything, that's why it's so odd. But, of course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens, in case you – know – who's happens to be behind it." Ron replied.
"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked, changing the subject.
"Er—we don't know any," Harry said.
"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world-" He went off, explaining every aspect of Qudditch to the twins. He was interrupted when the compartment door slid open, yet again, but it wasn't Hermione or Neville. It was three boys.
The middle boy was looking at Harry with interest.
"It it true? They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"
"Yes," Harry said. Selena glanced at the other boys. They were big and very mean-looking. One of them was leering at Selena. She shuddered.
"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle. Any my name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." Ron gave a slight cough, which, to Selena, sounded like he was hiding a snigger. Malfoy looked at him.
"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."
Selena stood next to her brother, not like where this is going.
"Who are you? I thought the Weasleys only have one girl who is younger than us" Malfoy asked, thinking Selena was a Weasley because of the red heir.
"I am Harry's twin sister" she said getting bored of everyone asking who she was.
"Really, wait till my father hears about this, two Potters" Malfoy turned to so he was talking to both of the twins.
"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potters. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
He gave a pointed glance to Ron when he said 'wrong sort'. He held out his hand for Harry to shake and Selena was sure her brother was going to. Boy, was she was wrong.
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said.
Malfoy went a bit pink in the cheeks. He turn to Selena "how about you" holding his hand out to her. "Sorry I don't want to be friends to arrogant pigs, especially those who are blond." She said sitting back down.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potters. Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."
Selena stood up quickly again, with both Harry and Ron by her side. Selena tried to smack Malfoy, but was restrained by her brother.
"You should put a leash on your sister, Potter. You don't want her to get hurt"
Selena was still being restrained. Otherwise, would have slugged Malfoy in the face by now.
"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.
"Unless you get out now," Harry said.
"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."
One of the big blokes reached out to grab a Chocolate Frog next to Ron, but before Ron could do anything the ape yelled out. Harry took the opportune moment to punch Malfoy in the face as hard as he could because of the threat he said about his sister. They all heard a satisfying crack. The git clutched at his nose, blood dripping from in between his fingers. While Harry was punching Malfoy, Ron's pet rat scabbers bit one of the apes knuckle and then was thrown off the boy and hit the window.
"You gonna pay for dat, Potter!" With that, the three of the boys disappeared. A second later, Hermione came in.
"What has been going on?" Hermione said as she opened the compartment door, 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 twins. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep."
And so he had.
"You've met Malfoy before?"
Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.
"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." He turned to Hermione. "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. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"
"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"
"All right — I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," she said in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?" Hermione just had to add.
Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.
He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes, while Selena covered her eyes for them. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them. And they covered their eyes for Selena.
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."
Harry and Selena's stomachs lurched with nerves and Ron, they saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.
The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry, Selena?" Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.
"C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville sniffed once or twice and Selena walked next to him.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione, while Selena sat with two other girls and the boy she saw at Gringotts.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
"Oi, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands and Selena smiled.
"See, I told you he'd turn up!" she said and he grinned. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
So which house should Selena should be in?
