A/N: So I was writing this with a friend. She was writing her story and I was writing mine, when it was basically decided we would just write our own separate stories. I have decided to go in a totally different direction then my first original idea. I mean I plan to stick to my main story line I have just changed things so that our stories are now totally different and are no longer companion pieces to one another. Thank you.
Summer vacation had finally come to an end and Natasha couldn't have been happier. She felt a little weird how excited she was to be going back to school, but this was different for her on so many different levels. She wouldn't be taking math, science and language arts classes, instead she would be taking classes like charms, and potions, and transfiguration. She was going to a school to learn how to be a witch. She had powers and was going to learn how to use them properly, her excitement was brimming.
In the month since her trip to Diagon Alley, she had spent some time looking through her school books, granted she didn't really understand much, and playing with Jinx. The bird truly was as the shop keeper described him, a total menace. His flight was always erratic, and he couldn't land without crashing unless he landed on Natasha's arm or shoulder. It didn't take her long to figure out that his left wing was shorter than his right wing by about three inches, thus the cause of his erratic flight.
She had used Jinx to return the bag that Hannah had allowed her to borrow to get her school supplies. At first she was nervous about sending Jinx out on the flight, but knew he would be going further when she sent letters to her father from school, she might as well get him used to flying for her now.
Jinx did as was asked of him and he seemed happy to do so. He loved the raw bits of rabbit she gave to him just before he left and when he returned. Along with the bag, she had sent Hannah a letter asking her if she wouldn't mind too much if she kept sending her small little letters, she explained about Jinx's wing and how she wanted to help strengthen it. Hannah accepted her idea and in return always wrote her a quick little letter as well.
The morning to leave for Hogwarts was finally upon her. Natasha was up earlier that morning then she had for her trip to Diagon Alley. She was so nervous that she checked, and double checked and rechecked that she had everything in her trunk so many times that her eyes were starting to cross. She ate a quick breakfast with her Dad before they headed off back on another 2 hour drive to London this time the back of her father's Ford Explorer loaded with a large trunk and an equally as large bird cage.
Natasha couldn't help but re-read for what had to have been the thousandth time, the letter she got from Mrs. Fogbottom three days ago:
Dear Miss Gates,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am sure you are excited to start school in three days. I have enclosed for you your train ticket on the Hogwarts Express. It leaves from Platform 9 ¾ at exactly 11 o'clock in the morning from King's Cross Station in London. Now do not let the Platform confuse you, there is indeed a Platform 9 ¾ and like most other things in the Wizarding world it is hidden from Muggle eyes. I wouldn't go asking a train station attendant where it is, they are likely to think you are mental. Getting on to the Platform is quite simple.
Now this itself may sound odd but to get onto the Platform you will need to step through the barriers between platforms 9 and 10. If you are afraid or a little nervous you may want to do it at a bit of a run but I assure you, you will pass right through the wall and to the other side where the Hogwarts Express will be waiting for you. This will take you to and from Hogwarts for the next 7 years. This will also be how you come home during school holidays if you so wish to.
I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you have a wonderful time at Hogwarts. I know I enjoyed my time when I was there. Good luck.
Sincerely,
Matilda T. Fogbottom
Natasha sighed happily, folding the letter she set it in her lap sure she would want to look at it again a little later. She pulled out the ticket again to look at it. This was it, her ticket for the Hogwarts Express. In a near daze she ran her fingers over the gold lettering of the word Platform 9 ¾ and let out a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding.
The car ride to London seemed to take longer than it did last time, but her father assured her they were making good time and would be at King's Cross station with time to spare. Her nerves had hit a new height.
They made it to King's Cross station a little after 10:30. Natasha quickly raced to get a trolley, while Victor started unloading her things. She could hear Jinx screech his alarm at someone other than her waking him up. "It's ok Jinx." She whispered to the owl, stroking his feathers through the cage bars. She watched as her father hoisted her trunk onto the trolley and then place Jinx's cage on top of it.
Together they made their way through the crowded station. The passerby's gave them odd looks at the owl sitting on top of her trunk. She hoped for the most part people would just mind their own business.
As they turned to go down between platforms 9 and 10 she noticed an older boy pushing a trolley with an owl on it as well. She stopped and pointed him out to her father. They both stood and watched as the boy made for the barrier between platforms 9 and 10 simply disappeared.
"So that is where we need to go than." Victor said as he started walking to the same location that the boy disappeared at. "Remember Mrs. Fogbottom's letter." He said as he grabbed his daughter's hand and placed it up on the trolley with his own.
They walked side by side straight at the barrier, and Natasha couldn't help but thinking I hope we don't crash. For one brief moment everything went black, suddenly her senses were assaulted. She could hear the loud clamoring of the crowd before she saw anyone. A large crowd of kids of all ages along with parents swarmed around the large red steam engine.
"Wow!" Natasha gasped as she took in the sight in front of her. Everything was really starting to sink in now, it was all very real.
"Come on let's get your stuff taken care of." Victor said pulling her out of her wonder.
It took a few minutes but they were finally able to get all of her things loaded onto the train as it gave a sharp warning whistle. Her eyes flew to the clock on a nearby wall; the train would be leaving in five minutes. She watched as kids said their goodbyes to their parents and siblings. She watched as the younger ones cried because they wanted to go to, and a few even tried climbing onto the train to go with. She glanced up at her father with tears brimming in her eyes.
"Go on sweet heart, you can do this." Her father whispered as he pulled her in for a hug. "Write to me often okay?"
Natasha sniffled and blinked away the tears. "Thanks Daddy, I will see you at Christmas." The train gave another loud and sharp warning. Victor pulled his daughter in for one final hug before she jumped onto the train along with the other students.
See you at Christmas that thought ran through Natasha's head as she made her way through the train looking for a place to sit. Christmas was over three months away; she had never gone that long without seeing her father before. Even when he was away for a few weeks because of a high powered trial she still got to hear his voice every night. The technology of the Wizarding world was so different then the Muggle world. There were no phones; she wouldn't be able to hear his voice at night.
Natasha had made it nearly to the end of the train and still hadn't found a place to sit; she was starting to get a little worried, would she just have to stand for the entire trip to Hogwarts? She was on the second to last train car when she poked her head into a compartment to find it empty except for one girl who sat reading one of the school books.
"Mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."
The other girl seemed startled for a moment, as if she had expected to be left alone for the entire trip. She started at her as if trying to make up her mind whether or not to allow Natasha in. Sky blue eyes met emerald green and Natasha couldn't help but think she had seen those eyes before.
"Umm yeah sure." The girl said tucking a stray strand of ebony black hair behind her ear before indicating to the open seat in front of her.
"Hey thanks." Natasha said, sitting down. She heard the train give its final whistle as it shuttered forward.
Jumping to her feet Natasha made her way over to the window and opened it. Leaning out like most of the other kids where doing her eyes scanned the crowd. She found her father standing in the mass of parents and younger siblings waving good bye to their kids. "Bye Daddy!" Natasha called out waving almost frantically as the train started pulling out of the station.
Natasha could see that her father was saying something but with the noise from the train, the other parents, and the other students she couldn't hear what he was saying. It almost looked like he was saying 'Don't fight the night'. What the hell did that mean? She tossed it around in her head for a moment. Oh he was saying 'Don't forget to write'. "I won't forget!" She called out before turning to the girl in the compartment with her.
"Don't you want to say goodbye to your family?" Natasha asked.
Natasha noticed a slight blush steal up the other girl's cheeks. "Um no that's ok my mum left already." She attempted to hide her face in her book. "She had an appointment that she needed to get too."
"Well that sucks." Natasha frowned, glancing out the window she noticed that they had turned in a bend and the train station was no longer visible anyways.
Natasha sat and stared at the girl sitting acrossed from her in the compartment. She knew she had seen those eyes before, she just couldn't place it. How could she not place those eyes?
The girl fidgeted in her seat for a moment before finally glancing up from her book. Their eyes made contact again as she frowned at Natasha, obviously not liking being started at. Natasha suddenly snapped her fingers loudly.
"That's it!" She said, proud with herself for figuring it out.
"What is…what?" The girl asked in confusion.
"I saw you in Diagon Alley at the book store!" Natasha announced in triumph.
"Oh did you?" The girl asked before glancing back down to her book.
"Umm yea. You were wearing that long pretty black cloak, oh that must have been your mother you were with."
"Yeah it was." The girl said cocking her head to the side slightly, she still seemed slightly confused.
"I'm Natasha." Natasha said holding out her hand.
"Um, I'm Erica." The girl said looking at Natasha's hand, seemingly unsure what to do. When Natasha didn't pull her hand back Erica finally placed her hand in Natasha's.
"Nice to meet you." Natasha said brightly shaking the other girl's hand. "Are you a first year too?" She asked hoping she had found someone her age that she could hopefully start a friendship with.
"Yeah I am. I'm a…actually kinda nervous." Erica whispered. She seemed to be embarrassed that she was nervous.
"Nice to know I am not the only one." Natasha said with a smile hoping to make the other girl feel better. "I haven't been away from my dad for this long before."
The girl seemed to brighten up. It looked like they had a common ground. "I haven't been away from my mum for this long either. It's gonna be different not seeing her every day. I mean for the past 11 years it's basically been just me and her." Erica said setting her books aside.
"Yeah I get that, it's just been me and my dad for 11 year." Natasha leaned back in her seat getting comfortable. "What about your dad?" She asked.
"My dad…isn't in the picture." Erica said. Natasha nodded but didn't push for more. "What about your mum?" Erica asked.
"She a…she died giving birth to me." Natasha choked back tears.
"Oh I am so sorry." Erica gasped.
Natasha shook her head. "It's ok you had no way of knowing." Natasha gave a half smile and decided to try and steer the conversation to something less depressing.
The two girls sat and chatted for a while, little tidbits of information swapped here and there along with bouts of comfortable silence as they gazed out the window at the passing country side. There was a knock at the compartment door, pulling the girls out of there latest round of small talk conversation.
The door to the compartment opened revealing an elderly woman pushing a snack cart. "Anything off the trolley's Dears?" The woman asked with a smile.
"No I am good." Natasha indicated to the bag she brought with her.
"I am good as well." Erica said with a nod.
"Aright than Dearies." The woman said as she closed up the compartment and pushed the cart further down the train.
Natasha looked up at the clock and noticed it was already 12:30; she might as well have lunch now. Pulling the lunch sack onto her lap she pulled out three sandwiches. The crust had been cut off of them and each sandwich had been cut into 4 triangles, her father's last ditch effort to baby her.
"What is that?" Erica asked, watching as Natasha put the sandwich up to her mouth, taking a bite and causing white stuff to ooze from the bottom.
"It's a peanut butter and fluff sandwich, want one?" Natasha asked offering the other girl one of her sandwiches.
"Peanut butter and what?" Erica was clearly confused.
"Fluff." Natasha said simply handing the sandwich over.
"And what is fluff?" Erica pulled the sandwich out of its bag and proceeded to try and pull the two pieces of bread apart.
Natasha laughed. "It's peanut butter and marshmallow." She laughed even harder at the confused and slightly disturbed look Erica was giving her. "It's really good just try it."
Erica turned the piece of sandwich over in her fingers, exploring it from all angles, before shrugging and taking a bite. "Oh you're right that is pretty good." She said with a smile.
"Told you." Natasha beamed.
"This has got to be one of the weirdest things I have ever eaten." Erica giggled. She looked over at Natasha. "Weird, but good I like it. Where on earth did you come up with it?"
Natasha couldn't help but laugh, it was such a weird sandwich but she was happy that Erica liked it. "When I lived in Boston, my Aunt Jane used to eat them all the time; she is the one that got me into them."
"Boston hu?" Erica asked. "I thought you had a funny accent, how long have you been living in England?"
"About 6 months." Natasha said around a mouthful of peanut butter and fluff. "My dad got a promotion at his law firm and then transferred over to the branch here in England."
"Law firm?" Erica questioned. "Are you a Muggle Born?" She was suddenly looking at Natasha as if she were something totally different.
"Is being Muggle born a bad thing?" Natasha asked looking away. Did she ruin her chance at having a friendship because she had a big mouth?
Erica shrugged, glancing down at her sandwich. "No I guess not, I've just never met a Muggle before." Erica looked back up at Natasha and was nearly staring at her, as if she expected the other girl to suddenly sprout a third arm or something.
Natasha couldn't stop the laugh the made its way out of her mouth at Erica's near blatant starting. "I assure you the only real difference between Muggles and Wizards is the magic. I don't think you will find any physical differences between the two, I mean we are both humans aren't we?"
Erica's face deepened with blush as she looked away again. "I suppose you are right."
Both girls looked at each other for a moment before both began to laugh. They spent the next few hours comparing notes on Muggles and Wizards. Erica answered every question Natasha had about Wizards and the wizarding world, while Natasha did likewise with Erica's questions about Muggles.
Nether seemed to notice the amount of time that had past that it was now dark outside the train. The door to the compartment slid open and an older looking male student popped his head inside. "We will be arriving shortly, time to get into your uniforms." He instructed, Natasha couldn't help but notice the "P" that was embroidered on the front of his black cloak, she wondered what that meant.
The train gave a warning whistle as it started to slow. Both girls quickly pulled on their Hogwarts uniforms right has the train pulled into the station. The noise from the students getting off the train was almost as loud as when everyone had climbed aboard. This was it; Natasha was finally going to see her school for the first time. She glanced over to Erica who nodded her head, and together both girls stepped off of the train and into the dark night.
A/N: Please review, even if it just a few little words. Thanks. I will try to have the next chapter posted as soon as possible. Going to attempt at a once a week update. Thank you. :-D