Well here is the properly edited second chapter! Hurar Whop Whop!
Yeah I'm tired I'll leave you to it.
As I stepped out of the barrier onto platform nine and three quarters the first thing I noticed was the noise! It came from everywhere. Cats hissing, owls hooting, people yelling and saying their goodbyes, the hiss of the old red steam train. It was overwhelming. Mum popped out behind me and told me to move along. I did as she said in a daze. There were witches and wizards everywhere. And I don't just mean what they were. We had parties sometimes with other magical families. No they were dresses as wizards and witches too. I'd seen the occasional friend of Mum's pop in every now and then but this was something different! I smiled this was my world.
Mum pulled into a corner. I was glad. I'd never have heard her otherwise. "So, do have your books?"I nodded. "And your robes? And your wand?" I nodded again.
"Yes Mum" I swallowed, nervous.
"Good. Well that's everything I think." She hugged me tight and whispered in my ear, "You're going to be brilliant, I just know it. Write to me. Tell me what house you're in and how your classes go."
"I promise" I whispered back. We'd been trying hard over the last week to undo the damage from our fight but its shadow still hung over us.
You'll miss her. Something inside me whispered as the whistle went."Yes I will" I whispered back as I ran for the train. Why oh why hadn't we said good bye closer to the train? I thought as I pushed my way through the crowd.
No, no, no! I was still a metre away from the train as the doors started to close. I sprinted. A hand shot out and grabbed my elbow hauling me onto the train with my bag. I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall out of breath.
"What you doing running like that?" A voice asked me. "You very nearly missed the train"
I open my eyes to see a boy looking at me from the other side of the corridor. He was slightly shorter than me. He had chocolate brown hair and matching eyes. I smiled he looked just like Sam's younger brother Tom.
"You pulled me one the train?" I asked. He nodded. "Well thanks." I looked down.
"You're new aren't you?" I nodded still looking down. Suddenly all my nerves had come flooding back. That's me. Deal with the dire situation then get nervous.
"Well we better find a carriage then. Unless you want to stand here forever?" I looked up surprised and smiled the boy was watching me like I might implode. He relaxed when I smiled.
"Well let's go then."
I walked down the corridor with the boy. Lugging my bag and looking for an empty place. We found one at the end of the train.
"Okay, what do we do now?"I feel comfortable around this the boy who helped me but I was still nervous.
He shrugged "we sit, we talk, change into our school robes. My name's Matt by the way." He offered his hand. "Otherwise we just relax."
"Oh." The sudden introduction caught me drifting. "Mines Kashar Smith." I shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you Kashar." Matt said "So what brings you to Hogwarts in a middle year?" Matt asked leaning forward. I sighed of course he'd want to know everything about the new girl.
"I used to live in Australia."
"Really!" He sounded even more intrigued. If that's possible. "Isn't it all hot and dry there, like an endless desert?
"No. There's dense rainforest too, and we get snow as well up on the mountains. I've never been to the snow though." I frowned remembering all the times I had begged my mum to take me.
The sound of Matt's laughter yanked me out of my memories. "Well you're going to get plenty of snow here! The Hogwarts grounds are covered for about half the year!"
"Mum said."
"Wait, did your mum go to Hogwarts? What about your dad?"
"Yeah, my mum went to Hogwarts and I've never met my dad."
"Really! You've never met your dad why?"
I shifted, fiddling with my zipper; this was not my favourite topic. "Well Mum says he died before I was born and that's why she moved to Australia."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense lots of people died around that time. Are you in fourth year?"
"Yeah, you?"
"Fourth." We were silent for a while then Matt seemed to shake himself. "Well seeing as you're new I should tell you how thing work around here. Toilets are at the back of the train you'll need to go get changed before we reach Hogsmead. The lunch lady comes around with the trolley at one. Other than that sit back and enjoy the ride." He seemed in a sudden hurry to get out of here. "I'll come see you later, okay." Suspicions confirmed.
"Yeah sure." I tried hard not to look disappointed. Of course he had other friends to see. Matt left, I sighed and reached into my bag to find my robes. May as well get it over with. I hurried down the train looking for the bathroom sign. Once I found it I slipped inside and changed trying to figure it out as I went. This was the first time I'd ever worn wizard robes they felt surprisingly natural. I looked in the small mirror I think that looks right. I grabbed my muggle clothes and shoved them in the small bag I'd brought with me. I walked back down the corridor taking in more detail as I went. There were lots of kids they mainly seemed to be sorted into colour coded groups green, red, yellow and blue. I remembered why that was. The houses which you had classes in had those colours.
Green for Slytherin, red for Gryffindor, yellow for Hufflepuff and blue for Ravenclaw. I smiled then froze as I got back to my compartment. There was a group of girls sitting in there, they looked like fifth years. I looked to check that this is where I came from but that was
definitely my bag above one of their heads.
I pushed open the door. "Umm excuse me."
All the girls looked up. "oh." One of them said. "That bag belongs to you then." I nodded. "Oh okay, we're sorry but it turns out we're not allowed in the prefect carriage." She sighed dramatically. "You won't mind if we stay here will you?"
It took me a moment to find my voice. "Oh, no of course not." I slid in to the room and took the seat nearest the window. The rest of my journey was spent listening to their high pitch chatter.
By the time we got to Hogsmead it was dark and had started to drizzle. I left the train feeling rather drowsy. After listening to the latest gossip for three hours, anyone would be. The rain and bustle quickly woke me up though. I stared around wondering where to go. I decided that the huge man with a grey beard and bushy hair was my best shot. I pushed towards him and was surprised when Matt appeared at my side.
"That's Hagrid, the keeper of the keys and care of magical creature's teacher."
"Where'd you come from?"
"Saw you when I got off the train. I was feeling kind of guilty for ditching."
"It's okay some fifth year Griffyndors came and kept me up to date on all the gossip. You know there's a new herbology teacher called Neville Longbottom who killed you know who's snake in the last battle at Hogwarts fifteen years ago." I mimicked the girls' tones as I said this.
Matt winced. "Geesh I'm really sorry."
"It's okay really, I'm just having a dig at you."
"Oh right, why are we heading towards Hagrid?"
"I don't know where to go so I thought that he might be a good place to find out."
"Clever." We were nearing the giant man now all my nerves seemed to concentrate on this moment.
"Um excuse me, I..." I lost the train of my thought as Hagrid bent down to look me in the eye. "Ugh..."
Luckily Matt came to my rescue for the second time that day. "Kashar's new, she needs directions does she go to the great hall and get sorted with the first years or go with the rest of us?"
"Ah righ' yeh're the new fourth year." He smiled suddenly looking a lot less intimidating. "Well yeh'd better come with me then." I said goodbye to Matt and followed hagrid with the first years. We followed a steep and slippery path down to the edge of a lake. I was so busy watching my footing that I didn't realise anything had happened until every first year gasped. I looked up wondering what had gotten their attention, and got my first view of Hogwarts.
It was across the lake, brightly lit, with a candle at every window. On one side I saw a progression of carriages winding their way up the mountain towards the castle. I whistled. "Whoa, I can see why they bring first years this way."
As we entered the boats I couldn't help being thankful that the castle had the attention of all the first years. It meant they didn't gape at someone obviously older than eleven, meaning me.
When we got to the other side there was a yell "Heads down." I ducked just as we reached a hole in the cliff. We slid into a kind of bay with a pebbled beach. I jumped out of my boat as soon as I felt the hull grate against the ground. We marched up a stair case to a huge set of oak doors. Hagrid lifted his hand a knocked on them. An extremely thin wizard answered he had dark hair that was slicked back and a small trim beard.
"Welcome first years my name is Professor Finigus Abrovy I am the deputy headmaster at Hogwarts. Follow me please." With that he led us across the entrance hall towards another set of doors. "Through these doors is the great hall. The rest of the students are already here. You will line up in alphabetical order and be sorted thus. Kashar Smith please join the front of the line."
I hurried to the front just as he turned and pushed the doors open. A blast of light and noise hit us I squinted to see five tables; four one way and another parallel to them. I looked towards the Hufflepuff table and saw Matt waving at me I smiled back as I walked between the two middle tables towards the one at the far end where the teachers sat. In front of the teachers there was a single stool with a battered old hat sitting on it. Abrovy stoped just before it and pulled out a scroll. I sucked in my breath, I was about to get sorted.
Then the hat began to sing. I was so startled I forgot to listen. I only caught the last few lines;
But who goes to noble Slytherin?
So now the houses story told
mine to whom they shall behold.
In the cheers after the hats last line I heard professor Abrovy call my name I walked up the three steps to the stool in a daze. I sat and Abrovy put the hat over my head. Immediately a whispering voice entered my ear.
"So, another pure blood for Hogwarts. Well let's see. Gryffindor? No too slippery by far. Ravenclaw? No not that either."
"My mother was in Ravenclaw!" I thought at the hat.
"Yes, Yes I remember her but in this case I believe you take after your father."
"WAIT! I don't even –"
"SLYTHERIN!"
The hat was pulled off my head. I stood up to loud applause and headed towards the table where the colours were green and silver. I grinned at least that was over. Plus silver and green, they had to be the coolest colours out there. As I walked the borders of my clothes changed colour and a small silver snake uncurled over my left breast. I reached the table and sat next to a girl with light brown coloured hair. The rest of the night passed in a blur. I listened to the names and cheered whenever a new Slytherin was called. Then we ate. The food was delicious. By the end I feared I wouldn't be able to stand up yet alone walk. Then it was over and I followed the rest of the Slytherins' into the entrance hall. I saw Matt and waved at him he smiled back before heading down a different set of stairs to the ones I followed.
By the end of the night I was completely content lying in a four poster bed with green hangings, next to a window with an underwater view of the lake.
Reviews please they make me think =) constructive critisism doubly welcome.