Chapter 3

Today was September 1st. The day Eve would be leaving on the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade Station then on to Hogwarts; something she has thought about constantly for a long time.

It was 7 in the morning and Eve was sitting up in her bed reading from one of her new books she got the day before, called Magical Draughts and Potions. She was only awake this early because she was too excited for one more hour of sleep.

They would be leaving the house at 9 so they would have plenty of time at the station for putting her things on the train and saying their goodbye's.

At 8 o'clock Eve could here noises coming from down stairs were the rest of her family was getting ready for the coming day. Deciding she should get up and help, she went downstairs after changing.

"Hey sweetie you're up early," said her mother when Eve walked into the kitchen, after having put her new book in the bag next to her trunk in the living room. There was toast on the table with other things for breakfast but Eve on the other hand, only had the stomach for toast and a glass of Orange juice this morning. The nervousness she tends to have towards new things was starting to show itself.

"Couldn't sleep, so Jon is driving us to the station at 9?" she asked around a piece of toast as she sat down.

"Yeah I don't really care for that car thing but it's charmed to drive itself so no worries," Jon said. "Oh and I forgot to mention to you both that part of some work I've been doing with the Ministry, has me helping out a new student find their way to the station." He continued finishing up his breakfast before packing the car with Eve's things.

"Oh, Eve dear, could you put Hazel in her cage here in a bit so we don't forget her?" Karen asked. "Jon, you do know who you're helping right?" she replied as she was cleaning up the kitchen while everyone else gathered Eve's things.

"Um, I believe her name is Raven Stone. I'm to meet her on the muggle platform before we transfer to Platform 9 ¾." He said walking into the living room.

For the next hour, Eve and her family packed and moved her things to the car for her trip to Hogwarts. By the time it was 9 o'clock Eve was walking down the stairs with Hazel in her cage to the car. She was ready to go with her bag slung over her shoulder.

Hazel, the black Great Horned Owl, was fierce to look at but had a sweet and calm manner about it. He slept most of the time atop Eve's bed on a lamp stand, at their home. The two of them seemed to understand one another fairly quickly. He very smoothly got into his cage when Eve asked him earlier.

They all pilled in the car, Jon and Karen in front and Eve with Hazel in the back. Jon waved his wand and the car did everything from there all the way to the King's Cross Station. Although they weren't really supposed to use muggle technology like this, no one was really going to report it.

When they arrived the car parked itself in a spot close to the doors, making it easier and faster for them. It was almost half past 10; Karen climbed out and went for a cart for Eve's things. By the time she got back Eve and Jon had her things out of the car ready to put them on the cart.

"Alright, do you two think you can get all this together and down to the platform without me? I need to go find my charge." Jon said after putting Eve's trunk on the cart, getting the heaviest of her things taken care of.

"Yes dear, we'll be fine without you. We'll meet you by the train before it leaves. You have to see your sister off." Karen replied with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, I want to say goodbye then." Eve said with a little pout to her voice.

"Yes, I promise I'll be there to see you off. I wouldn't miss it for the world little one." Jon said and with that was gone into the crowd that was filing into King's Cross Station.

5 minutes later they had Eve's trolley filled and ready to head inside to platform 9 ¾.

They began the walk down to platform 9 almost to the column when Eve heard Jon speaking, "Alright then, let's head to the platform and get you settled in."

Eve looked around for where she heard it coming from and landed on Jon with a young girl with chocolate colored hair, the length done a bit past her shoulders, who seemed rather tall for her age. Eve noticed that she seemed very confident with herself even though she had come alone.

"Mom, there's Jon." Eve said. She pointed over to the other side of the same platform they were on. They were two columns back from them.

"Oh, Jon!" Karen called to him. Jon stood next to the trolley and looked to see his mother and sister waving to them. He spoke down to the girl and they made their way over with the girl who also had matching things on her cart that Eve had.

"Hello, dear. You must be the young girl Jon was talking about helping onto the platform." Karen said to her when they were all standing together.

"Uh yes. I'm Raven, Raven Stone. Pleasure to me you." She said rather bashfully. Raven wasn't prepared to really talk with others because of how unsure she was about everything.

Karen, feeling that it would be better spoke up to change their plans a little. "Why don't we all get onto the Platform together?"

"Sure I don't see why not." Jon said with a smile.

"Thank you for your help," she replied. Raven was grateful to being going in a group even if the guy assigned to help her was very nice.

"Alright we better get going or you both will miss the train," said Jon to the two young girls in front of him.

Eve replied with a smile. She felt that she was already making friends even though she was nervous out of her mind at how she was handling going to Hogwarts. Let alone the fact she hasn't said a word to Raven yet.

As they walked down the platform they came upon a column that was dividing platforms 9 and 10 from each other, just like the ones before and after it.

Jon, forgetting for a moment that he was supposed to be helping Raven onto the platform, took hold of Eve's cart to help her run to the wall. Raven watched as the two sort of ran at the wall and then disappeared in the blink of an eye. She was shocked and didn't know what to think. 'Where did they go!'

Karen realizing that they forgot to explain how to get to the platform told Raven.

"Don't be alarmed dear," she smiled at her. "I'll help you. Oh and I'm Karen, Eve and Jon's mother."

She grabbed onto the cart with Raven and they started to move forward and with every step they took they picked up a little speed. When they were almost to the wall, Raven not being as fearful like some new students, kept her eyes open and braised herself for what she thought would happen. In the time it took for her to take a breath they were already on the other side being greeted by a scarlet steam engine next to a platform full of people including Eve and her brother.

"Alright now that we are here let's find you two a compartment to put your things in and a place for you to sit," said Karen as she helped push Raven's cart over to Eve and Jon.

"Ok, let's move further down the platform, this area is pretty full already," said Jon as he helped Eve maneuver down the train.

As they moved down the platform Eve could see students hanging out of windows to talk to their families while others were fighting over seats. They passed all this until they came to an empty compartment near the end of the train and put their trunks and owls away.

"Now then you two should get on the train and find some seats before all the good ones are gone," said Karen while she pulled Eve into a tight hug. She then moved to Raven and did the same. Raven was surprised by this but liked the feeling it gave her and returned the hug, even though she had just met all three of them. Eve hugged her brother Jon, who also gave Raven a hug, even though it wasn't as long as the one she received from her mother. They both then proceed to get on the train and find an empty compartment for them to sit in.

They found one fairly fast and moved into it and closed the door. When they both took seats next to the window across from each other they looked out to see Eve's mom and brother waving at them as the train whistle sounded the train leaving. They both waved as they slowly moved down the tracks away from the platform.

As the train moved away from the station with increasing speed both girls turned to each other ready for the other to speak.

Raven seeing how shy and nervous Eve was, spoke first.

"So, that was your family. Are there others that couldn't come with you today?" she said hoping to lighten the mood.

Surprised by the question Eve replied, "Oh uh, no it's just the three of us. My father died last year in an accident at the Ministry of Magic. What about you were is your family?"

"My family died three years ago in a house fire. I've been living in an orphanage ever since," Raven said with a solemn face.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know," Eve said looking down. She was sad that they both had heart ships early on in life.

They both sat quietly for a bit moiling over the information that brought them both here. Something was bothering Eve though and she thought it best just to ask.

"Um are you muggle born or were your parents a witch and a wizard?" Eve asked looking up to see Raven with a confused face.

"Well neither of my parents were like that so I guess I'm what you called a muggle born. What is a muggle born?" Raven asked.

"Oh, muggle borns are people who are born from none magical parents but have magic. It's really cool I think," Eve said. She was not offended by the fact Raven was muggle born and was happy to be able to talk so casually with her the first day they met. While it also explained why Raven needed an escort to the platform, she was alone.

By this point they had been on the train for a bit. They faintly heard a woman's voice coming closer but could not yet understand what she was saying.

"So I guess you're not a muggle born like me?" Raven asked as she looked towards the door when a woman pushing a trolley appeared, opening the door.

"Anything from the trolley dears," the woman asked. The woman was on the older side with graying hair and little dimples that made her seem more charming.

"Oh yes, um, I'll have one box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and two Chocolate Frogs please," Eve replied while pulling out the amount she asked for when she received her treats.

Raven not sure what Eve just bought asked, "Um are those like Jelly Beans and are they really chocolate frogs?"

"Yeah they are jelly beans but all the flavors you could ever think of. The chocolate frogs are completely chocolate and magically move like real frogs. A spell cast on them makes them move. The fun part with them is the cards they come with. I'm trying to collect them all. Here, that's why I got two. One for me and one for you," She smiled sitting down while handing one of the unopened chocolate frogs to Raven. Eve thought it might help in becoming friends with Raven.

"Oh and to answer your question I'm not muggle born but there is nothing wrong with that I promise," Eve smiled at Raven.

Raven smiled in reply. She was unsure of what to expect and opened the chocolate frog and actually found a frog inside. Looking up at Eve, she saw her nibbling on hers so Raven took a little bite of one of the legs. It stopped moving when she did that which relieved her.

Eve, after taking a bite, looked at her card and read aloud, "Rowena Ravenclaw was the founder of the Ravenclaw house at Hogwarts. Beautiful and intelligent, she was the most brilliant witch of her time. Which card did you get?" Eve asked. She looked over to Raven watching as she mimicked what she had done.

Raven, pulling out the card, found a young woman as well on hers and read, "Gwenog Jones, Captain and Beater of the all-female national Quidditch team, the Holyhead Harpies; cool but what's quidditch?"

"Nice, I already have a few of her. Quidditch, well it's a sport that we play. I can explain it for you," Eve said.

To their surprised, a young girl, who looked the same age as Raven and Eve, entered their compartment and shut the door behind her.

She was short and thin with medium length blonde hair in ringlets with deep ocean blue eyes. She was very cute in a little doll kind of way. She looked a bit lost and annoyed when the girls looked to her.

"Hello, sorry to barge in. Is it alright if I sit here with you guys, my older brother is annoying me with all his so called experience talk about Hogwarts?" the young girl asked of them.

"I suppose its fine right?" Eve questioningly looked at Raven.

"Its fine with me," she replied.

The girl, happy to be welcomed in sat next to Raven and introduced herself to them. "Oh, thank you very much! My name is Jade Greengrass what's yours?" she asked, beaming at them.

Raven spoke first, "I'm Raven Stone and this is Eve Night. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Surprised Jade said, "Oh what lovely and interesting names. I was wondering do you know what house you want to be in yet? I want to be in Ravenclaw along with my brother and the rest of my family." Eve found out very quickly that this girl was a chatter box but found she kind of liked her for it.

Eve feeling she should speak at least a little said, "Um well most of my family is from Ravenclaw and my older brother was also in it so I suppose Ravenclaw is where I want to go." Eve looked to Raven to say a bit for this conversation.

"I'm not sure where I want to go I just learned of all the houses in the letter I received a few days ago," Raven said. To her, it seemed there weren't too many muggle borns on this train with her and was starting to worry that there weren't any even though she has only met a few people.

"Oh, wait does that mean you're muggle born? How interesting I'm a pure-blood. Don't worry though you seem really nice and I hope we can all be really good friends in the future," Jade said. She was trying very hard to be nice and encouraging to these two girls she had just met. Jade could tell just in the little amount of time she had spent with them that Eve was very shy and Raven was unsure of were to be and do.

Jade Greengrass was the girl in a crowd of people who could talk none stop for hours. She was a sweet young girl and cared for others no matter where they came from. She treated everyone equally, that is until they are rude to her or her friends.

Eve took the chance to look outside the window and found that they had passed all the fields and houses and were going through forests and passing winding streams.

"I think we're getting close." She said looking back at the other girls. "We should probably change into our robes."

"You're probably right." Raven acknowledged as she looked outside.

"Oh my robes are back with my brother in the compartment he's in." Jade said looking a little put out. "Can I come back after I change to hang with you?"

"Yeah sure," Raven smiled at her. She liked this small petite girl.

That being said Jade slipped out the door and ran to change, while she was gone Raven and Eve got their robes from their trunks and changed. As they waited for Jade to return Raven finished her chocolate frog and put the card inside her trunk next to her books.

Eve on the other hand, but her card and the unopened box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans in her trunk to snack on later.

During the time they waited for Jade to get back they talked about the other treats and snacks that were on the cart that passed earlier.

...

Thank you for reading. Comments are wanted and asked for. ;) I'll try to get that next chapter up much faster than the last one.