The Hogwarts Express
DISCLAIMER: I have not, am not, nor will I ever, be J.K. Rowling.
"Miss Lapp, please read the next two sections to the class." Rachel looked down at her book. The words seemed to swim off of the page.
"I can't." Rachel whispered.
"What? I couldn't hear you?"
"I can't." As she said it, the whole class broke into laughter.
"Rachel…Rachel…Rachel! Wake up!" Rachel sat up; Ginny was sitting next to her on her bed. "Mum said breakfast will be ready soon."
"Jah, okay. I'm coming." Ginny left the room and Rachel got up and began to change. Dress, kapp, apron, and socks. There was only about a week left of the summer holiday. Rachel shook her head, trying to get the images of her dream to go away. She had had the same dream for the past few nights. She carefully made her way downstairs.
"Morning, Rachel," Ron said when she came out.
"Good morning, Rachel," Percy added looking up. He was followed by a good morning from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and a "Morning, Rach'" from the twins. Rachel slipped into the kitchen to help Mrs. Weasley. The images and laughter from her dream continued to fester just behind her eyes. The voice from her dream continued inside her head, commanding her to read. As she set the Weasley's table, she admitted something to herself. She had to learn to read better. The Amish didn't read books other than the Bible and a few other books, so reading wasn't really stressed in school. She could read in German just find, but English always seemed to give her trouble, even at eleven. But who could she ask? Mrs. Weasley worked around the house all day, Mr. Weasley went to work at the Ministry, Percy was always shut up in his room studying or something like that, Ginny and Ron were nice, but it just didn't feel right having someone younger than her teach her. That left only the twins.
After breakfast, the twins went up to their room. Rachel followed trying to seem unsuspicious. She walked up to their room and knocked. George (he was wearing a sweater with a 'G' on it) looked up and whispered something to Fred. Fred shrugged him, but he just shrugged and left the room murmuring something about Quidditch.
"Hey," Fred said, gesturing her in. "What's up?"
"Oh, um—I was just wondering if you could –uh—help me with something."
"Come in, I'm not going to bite." She came in and sat next to him on the bed. "Now, who do you need pranked? Is it Percy? I've got some really good ideas if it is."
"No one, I mean, that's not what I need help with." She said, looking anywhere but Fred.
"Am I going to have to guess what you need help with, or are you going to tell me?" He turned so he was facing her more directly. Her heart was pounding and she was sure her parents could hear it across the ocean.
"I—uh—I was wondering if you could—um—help me learn to read better." She stared at her thick wool socks, waiting for him to laugh. He didn't, he just got up, closed the door, went to the bookshelf, and came back with a thin, brown, slightly tattered, book.
"Come read with me." He said, patting the spot next to him as he leaned up against the head board of the bottom bunk. And so began their reading lessons.
Each day after that, the same routine was followed. They would go out, eat breakfast, then close themselves in the twins' bedroom until lunch when they would emerge to eat, after, the twins and Rachel would go for a walk and they would tell her all about Hogwarts and the wizarding world, and she would tell them about her home in Pennsylvania and teach them German.
As Rachel soon found out, she was a quick learner and reader once she got the hang of it. She had already finished The Tales of Beatle the Bard and was currently working through her transfiguration book.
"Hallo, was machst du?" (Hi, what are you doing?) She looked up, surprised by the German.
"Reading. You're picking up the German well. Des gut."
"Erm…oh, well. Thank-you, I've been practicing." Fred said, sitting down next to her. "Are you all packed? We leave for the station tomorrow."
"Ack, I know. I've had a wunderbar-gut time; I can't believe the summer is almost over."
"Hey, I was wondering—"
"Jah?"
"Erm—never mind. I'm going to go make sure I have everything." He said, and left the room, leaving Rachel absolutely and completely verwirrt.
The next day and the rip to Platform 9 ¾ was not so unlike the past summer at the Burrow. After much insisting of Rachel's part (aided by the twins), they had completely packed their trunks and wedged them into Mr. Weasley's car. Still, Rachel felt nervous and out of place that morning.
They all rose early (except for Rachel who hadn't even fallen asleep), and after a hurried breakfast (that Rachel had barely touched), they all crowded into the car, only to all get back out as Ron had to run back upstairs to his room to fetch his rat, Scabbers.
Finally, with only minutes to spare, they arrived at King's Cross station. It was like Diagon Alley all over again. Rachel could hardly believe so many people could fit into one place. As they neared Platforms 9 and 10, Rachel noticed the black haired boy form the robes shop.
"Mum, can't I go?" Ginny asked. They all knew it was hopeless for her to ask, as she had been asking all summer, and the answer was always the same.
"You're not old enough, Ginny. All right, Percy, you go first." Rachel could tell the black haired boy was watching them. Percy made his was forward, and vanished through the barrier. (Rachel's unease increased by the moment.) "Fred, you next."
"I'm not Fred, I'm George." Fred replied. Rachel, confusion added to unease, opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when George nudged her slightly. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"
"Sorry, George, dear."
"Only joking, I am Fred." And off he went.
"Hey, Rach', you want to go next?" George asked. She nodded, unease turning to fear, and made her way towards the barrier. As she drew closer, she closed her eyes. The wall looked so solid. She was going to crash! She didn't. Fred was waiting on the other side, and George followed closely behind her.
In front of her was a giant, scarlet train! Rachel had never seen much less ridden on a train.
"We're going to go find Lee. We'll see you on the train." Fred said as he and George made their way towards a group of people across the platform. She just nodded.
"Was habe ich bekommen mich in?" (What have I gotten myself into?) She said quietly to herself.
"Keine Sorge, ich bin sicher, es ist besser als jeder sagt." (Don't worry, I'm sure it's better than everyone says.) Said the same drawling voice from the cloak shop in Diagon Alley
"Draco, right?" He nodded.
"I don't remember getting your name back at Madam Malkin's."
"Rachel Lapp." She said, pulling at the string of her kapp slightly.
"Draco!" A girl with dark, almost black, hair ran up to him. "C'mon, Blaise found us a compartment.—" She paused when she noticed Rachel, gave her a once over, and added, "What's with the costume?" Rachel blushed.
"It's what I wear everyday." She said, blushing even harder.
"Oh, well, c'mon Draco."
"Do you want to come?" Draco asked her.
"There's only one seat left…" The other girl said quickly.
"Pansy, I'm sure—" Draco started, but Rachel cut him off.
"It's fine, I'm going to go find the Weasley's. I'll see you guys at school." She smiled, and began walking away. She walked up to the train's door, paused for half a second, and climbed on board. Again, she was astounded by the train. Outside, she had thought it would be cramped, but it was actually a pretty good size. As she walked down the corridor, she checked each compartment for one of the Weasleys. The first two she caught were the twins. They had just emerged from a few compartments down from her.
"Hey, Rachel, Mum wants all of us outside. C'mon." She nodded, following them off of the train and to Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley had hugged each of them and handed out sandwiches when the whistle blew.
"Hurry, everyone on." She said, shooing them all through the door. All the doors slammed on the train, and Rachel could hear her heart pounding.
"Well, we're off to go find Lee. We'll catch you guys later." Fred said, and he and George began down the train away from them.
"Shall we find a compartment then?" Ron asked. She nodded, and they headed the opposite way the twins had. They looked into each compartment, but they were all full. Rachel was ready to just sit in the hall on her trunk when Ron opened the door to a compartment. "Mind if we join you? Everywhere else is full." Rachel looked into the compartment, and low and behold, there was the black haired boy again! The boy nodded and Ron continued as they sat down. "I'm Ron by the way, Ron Weasley. And this is Rachel Lapp."
"I'm Harry. Harry Potter."
"Really! Do you have the…uhh…the…" Ron stuttered.
"The what?" Harry asked.
"Scar." Ron said, as if they were talking about the shunning.
"Oh, yeah." Harry replied, lifting up his bangs to reveal a lightning shaped scar. Then, he turned to Rachel. "I remember you. You were at Madam Malkin's the same day I was, right?" She nodded. Their conversation continued for about an hour and a half. There was a knock on the compartment door, and a lady looked in.
"Anything off the trolley, dears?" She asked. Harry jumped up and headed outside, while Ron pulled a sandwich out of his pocket. When Harry came back a minute later, his arms were filled with the strange candies the twins had mentioned Rachel. She noticed Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Licorice Wands. He dumped them all into one of the empty seats.
"Want some?" Harry asked gesturing toward the food.
"I'm all set." Ron said, trying to fake a smile.
"Oh, go on. I won't be able to eat all of this by myself." Harry said. Ron smiled, and joined him in eating the sweets, and Rachel, not really feeling hungry turned to stare out the window. All of the sudden, a box landed in her lap. She looked down and saw a box of Cauldron Cakes. She looked up toward Harry who was smiling at her. "Are you going to make us eat all of this on our own?" He asked. She smiled back, and began opening the candy. Meanwhile, Ron and Harry began experimenting with the Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and even tried a funny gray one Ron refused to touch.
There was a knock on the door of their compartment and a round-faced boy came in. He looked tearful.
"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"
When they all shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"
"He'll turn up," said Harry.
"Things always do, but not always the way you expect." Rachel added with a nod.
"Yes, I know," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him…" and 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." The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.
"How old is Scabbers anyway? He looks ancient." Rachel said, looking at the rat contently.
"No idea. He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference with him. He's always asleep," 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…" Rachel remembered Fred and George coming up with the prank a couple days ago, and she hoped he wouldn't link the fact that she had been hanging out with them all summer and think she had helped them with it. The truth was, she had, but, she had heard from the twins and Ginny that he had inherited Mrs. Weasley's temper; something that she had only heard about, and hoped she wouldn't see in action.
He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white glittered at the end.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." Said a girl with bushy brown hair, opening the compartment door.
"We're already told him we haven't." Ron said.
"Holy cricket! You're Harry Potter!" She said, talking the seat across from Harry. "I'm Hermione Granger. And you are…?" Hermione continued, looking at Ron and Rachel.
"Ron Weasley," Ron said.
"Rachel Lapp," She said.
"Pleasure; you three best change into robes, I expect we'll be arriving soon." She got up, and made her way out of the compartment.
"I think I'll go help them look for Neville's toad." Rachel said, standing. The boys nodded and she made her way out of the compartment. She found Hermione and Neville a few compartments down. After not finding the toad, they went back to Hermione and Neville's compartment.
"This is all so surreal." Hermione said suddenly. "I keep expecting to wake up and be back at home with my mum and dad. Rachel nodded in agreement, making a mental note to find out exactly what 'surreal' meant.
"I've grown up in the wizard world, but for a while my gran thought I might be a squib, along with the rest of my family." Neville added. The conversation continued, each talking about their lives before now, until they reached the school.
"Ready?" Hermione asked. Neville shook his head, no, Rachel, however, just stood there, staring at the castle. This was definitely NOT a dream.
A/N: Okay, nice long chapter for you guys. I just want to give you guys some saddening statistics. 202 'people' read my story. Only 11 of them left some kind of note. 11! That's less than 5%! If you want more chapters, I need some reason to continue. As of right now, the story is on pause. If I get a good number of reviews (and I will know) then and only then will I continue this story. Special thanks to: AnMarie10, demiboo, shimmeringskittles, FlowerOfNaraku, and imadoodlenoodle. And an extra special thanks to JJ Rust and Just-As-Loony-As-Luna who reviewed 3 times! Each!