To All of My Reviewers: Thank you for pointing out my grammatical mistakes. I wasn't offended. I wrote and typed this in a short, rushed period of time. And looking back at the train whistles error, I realize that I meant to type "train whistle is blowing" but I accidentally hit the "s" button. And Hermione didn't recognize Hannah's name because she isn't very up-to-date with pop culture, all though Hannah is worldwide. And she only knew Jake's because she found him on the internet when she was browsing. He was in an advertisement on the page she was looking at. And one more thing: If I mess up anything that has to do with Harry Potter (like a tradition or something that's supposed to happen at the school), I'm sorry. Please don't comment about it.
I peered out of the compartment window, and my jaw immediately dropped. Our destination was an old, decrepit, crumbling castle on a small island. It didn't look like the boarding school I'd pictured at all! I was urged out of the train and next thing I knew I was in a carriage that carried its own weight—and by that, I mean it was driving itself and pulling itself! I was kind of freaked out, but I didn't question anything. I'd let Harry, Ron, and Hermione explain to me when they were ready. I fished in my pocket, grabbed my cell phone, and pulled it out. Darn, no service!
The three people across from me stared. "What is that?" asked Ron. "It's a Muggle device," she explained. "It's called a cell phone. It's used to make calls to other people." What's a Muggle? And why didn't they know what a cell phone was? Harry stared at me accusingly. "Why do you have a Muggle contraption?" he asked me suspiciously. "What's a Muggle?" I asked, feeling stupid. "It's a non-magical human," Ron explained. "Don't you know that?" I grew hot all over. Magic…I didn't think magic existed. Oh, my gosh, that's what was happening. I was trapped in a magical world. I wasn't supposed to be here! "No," I croaked. Hermione, sitting quietly in her corner, was calculating something. "I know why," she said smartly. "You are a Muggle! You're not even supposed to be here!"
I started sobbing. I probably looked like an immature idiot, but I was so upset. I wanted to go home. I was millions of miles away and I wanted to go back. Ron, Hermione, and Harry were angry at me, but their facial expressions showed sympathy. Girls crying always alter peoples' moods. Hermione looked at me thoughtfully. "I'm sorry. You probably just want to get back to America, and I understand. We'll get you on the next plane home as soon as possible."
Suddenly I was angry. I couldn't even explain it. But I was mad. I guess I blamed my three magical friends for all of this. But I should've blamed my curiosity. All of the sudden, my seat felt hot. Very, very hot. As if on fire. I jumped up suddenly and examined where I'd been sitting. It was charred.
I practically exploded with anger and frustration. "Who lit my sit on fire?" I asked accusingly, glaring. "Not me," they said in unison. Hermione, being too-smart-for-her-own-good again, suddenly exclaimed, "Maybe you did, Miley!" I stared at her skeptically, as did the boys. "No, really," she argued. "Miley might have powers! She just doesn't know how to control them. Maybe it was fate for her to show up. I say she stays at Hogwarts and finds out if she really has powers or not. What do you all say?"
Ron quickly shouted, "She should stay!" I blushed. I obviously was magnetic towards magical boys. Harry smiled at me, semi-flirtatiously. "Sure, why not?" Hermione grinned. "Miley, don't be so scared. If you can catch a seat on fire already, you're a born natural."
"Of course I didn't catch the seat on fire…." I muttered. They didn't hear me. After five minutes of riding along silently, Ron interrupted the quiet. "Wait…what are we going to tell McGonagall? She's not going to take in a student who just appears at her doorstep. Miley would only be accepted if she received an acceptance letter! We're doomed."
Hermione frowned. "Don't be so pessimistic. If Miley really does have powers, she'll most likely be welcomed here. Or maybe something else happened." She didn't seem very positive. The rest of the ride was quiet. Finally, the carriage stopped and we were allowed to get out.
We were greeted by a very large man with frizzy hair longer than mine and a large beard. He reminded me slightly of Uncle Earl. "First years oer 'ere!" he shouted. Hermione nudged me. "That's Hagrid. Go tell him that you're a fifteen year old and it's your first year attending Hogwarts," she whispered. My palms grew clammy but I did as told.
"Excuse me, sir?" I asked sheepishly. He didn't hear me. "Excuse me, sir?" I said, much louder. He turned. "Ello. Who might you be?" he said kindly. I relaxed. "I'm Miley." He laughed a heart laugh. "Miley? That's a queer name. But it's pretty. Are you American?" I nodded. "I'm from California." He smiled. "So, what can I do for you, Miley?" he asked, drawing out my name as if pronouncing it was a game. I took a deep breath. "Well, this is my first year attending Hogwarts, but I'm fifteen. What year will I be placed in?" Hagrid held up his index finger and pulled out a long roster. "You'll be in fifth year, but you'll have to attend private tutoring sessions on the weekends and sorting in a couple of minutes. Come with me."
"Wait…." I said slowly and unsurely. "Is my name on that list?" Hagrid nodded. He jabbed a finger towards the bottom of the list. "Miley Stewart." He squinted at the list. "Wait…it says your owl had difficulty reaching America—how'd you know to come here?" he asked. "Fate," I answered lamely. He shrugged. "Alright, then, miss, come with me and we'll get you into a house."
"That's okay, I'll just be in Gryffindor with my new friends," I said quickly. Hagrid laughed. "Well, I'd love to make you happy but sorting is a difficult process. We sort by character traits. And who might these new friends be?" I smiled sheepishly. "Well, I didn't actually catch their last names, except one. But they're Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione." Hagrid immediately lit up and grinned so large I was kind of worried. "Um, are you alright?" I asked, slowly backing up. "Sorry, it's just that those three are my absolute favorite students. They visit me frequently and I've been looking out for them since they were little first years. Since you probably don't know, Harry is kind of a celebrity. He's known as 'the Boy Who Lived' because when he was a little baby, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (a hideous creature whose dream is to finish us off; I'll explain more later) tried to curse him to death, but Harry repelled him and sucked his powers out of him. But he recently returned this summer, and not many people believe. So be on your guard. This may not mean too much, but it's very important."
I nodded. So Harry was a celebrity. He and Hannah would make a perfect couple. Good thing I brought my wig along just in case. "Well, let's go. You can get into that boat over there with me." When all of the first years and I were in the boats, Hagrid stepped in to mine, causing it to wobble slightly. And we paddled off towards the castle.