My father and I stepped through the barrier at Platform 9¾ together. Noise filled my ears as I glanced around in awe. Hundreds of students milled about, meeting up with old friends and saying good-byes to their parents. Having spent most of my life hiding from the rest of the wizarding world, I was fascinated by all of these people. We moved to the train and my dad loaded my trunk onto the first compartment we came to. I looked up at him to say good-bye and saw him glancing around nervously. I was used to this by now; he did it every time we were in public, as though he were afraid that someone would discover us, discover what we were, discover our biggest secret. He had been like that ever since my mother's death when I was eight.

"Daddy," I whispered and he looked quickly back at me, surprise evident on his face. For a second, he had forgotten that I was there. "Will you write to me all the time?"

"Every day, sweetheart. If you're scared you don't have to go if you don't want to. I can keep you at home with me." He gazed at me steadily, trying to persuade me to do so. He had been trying to change my mind about Hogwarts since I was ten, but I had wanted to go for as long as I could remember. I shook my head no and saw the fear in his eyes.

"You always told me how much you loved Hogwarts and now I'm finally old enough to go. Please, daddy, don't be scared. I'll be fine. I can take care of myself." He grinned and wrapped me tightly in his arms. As he held me he whispered into my hair, "You're just like your mother. You're right, you should go, she would've wanted you to."

I could hear the strain in his voice as he spoke. He rarely talked of my mum, it was too painful for either of us to do so, but I can only imagine how much worse it was for him. I started to reply but a cold voice spoke loudly behind us causing my father to release me immediately. He straightened up and I noticed his hand dart inside his robes, most likely holding tightly to his wand, as he turned around.

A small family stood there; the man was tall with white-blond hair and as he spoke to his son, his voice sent chills down my spine. His wife said nothing, she simply looked as if she were going to cry, having to say good-bye to her young son. I turned my attention to him last, and as I did so he glanced back at me, his gray eyes burning into mine. We stared at each other for a second, but as a loud whistle sounded he turned his attention back to his parents. The whistle seemed to snap my father back to reality, for he too had been staring at the family.

"Have a good term. I'll see you at Christmas, sweetheart." He hugged me again, but this time it was brief, he was too distracted.

I climbed onto the train, but leaned out the window to wave at him one last time. "I love you, dad!" I said as I blew him a kiss. After repeating the sentiment he turned and hurried away from the train, back toward the station. I looked down the hallways of the train at the many students hurrying to find friends and places to sit. Most of them ignored me so I stepped into the compartment where my trunk was and collapsed against the seat. No one else was in there. As the train began to pull away from the station, I thought of my father hurrying home to the empty house, to be by himself for an entire term. Loneliness washed over me; this was the first time I had ever been away from home and I wasn't sure how I would survive it.

A few students opened the door to the compartment but closed it again as soon as they saw me. I scooted over to sit right next to the window, leaving the rest of the seat empty in case someone wanted to sit here. Even if they ignored me it would be better to have someone in there. I had never before had friends and I wondered what it would be like to finally get to meet kids my own age, perhaps even have one of them like me. Just as I was thinking of how horrible it would be to go through all seven years of my schooling alone, the compartment door opened yet again.