I had no idea what to expect when I finally got onto the train, but this was definitely not it. It's not like I haven't seen magic before, with parents as powerful as mine I see it everyday. But this is different, much different- this was magic I am allowed to participate in.
I slide my hand into my coat pocket, and this time when I touch my wand I didn't just feel a stick... I felt oak wood and it's unicorn hair core . With a sudden spark I could actually feel the magic flowing from the wand into my hand.
Almost unconsciously I am closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. When I open them again I am ready, ready to live and breathe a world of magic- ready to be magic.
"Miss!" Hollers a man in his late forties. He has blonde hair that's kind of sticking up everywhere, even though he has a brown cap on. His button-up denim shirt looks 5 sizes too big, and as he runs down the hall towards me he's tripping over his trousers sillily.
"Miss!" The strange man says again almost out of breath. He stops right in front of me and has his hands on his knees. I would say he resembles golden retriever that just finished playing ball at the dog park. "The train is starting up now Miss, you must take a seat."
I probably look stupid, just standing in the doorway. Why didn't I notice there was no one else in the hall anymore? There is probably no empty compartments left. Dammit!
"I'm so sorry! But are you okay? Um- do you know where I can find any empty compartments?" I spit out all at once, letting go of the wand in my pocket. My palms start to feel sweaty, and I dangle my arms by my side awkwardly.
"Ah, yes! I think I saw a few at the very back! Follow me!" The man stands up straight again, letting me have a clear vision of his face. He really does resemble a golden retriever, can't exactly explain it. Something about his yellow stubble and how wide his brown eyes are.
"And don't you worry about me, I'm always doing this kind of thing. I work on this train you see." He says
cheerfully. "I'm by the way." He puts out his hand for me to shake.
Crap. Cold and sweaty palms. It's okay Lily, he won't care. It will be over in a heartbeat. Speaking of heartbeats mine is going awfully fast right now.
I shake Mr. Crowden's hand, and thank Merlin his shake was enthusiastic and sloppy. I hate it when people have a firm shake, makes my limp one look even more pathetic.
"Lily Luna." I force a smile, usually when I give my middle name they don't ask for a last. Whenever I give my last name the conversations end up the same. Always about my parents and how thankful I should be to have them.
Mr. Crowden doesn't let go of my hand, instead he pulls me towards the end of the train. I feel the ground underneath me move slowly in the opposite direction.
"So very nice to meet you Lily Luna! What a cool name that is! I could have sworn I've heard it before. Ya'know, some people call me The Crow. Okay not really, I fibbed. Well they will someday just you wait-" Mr. Crowden stops at the end of the train suddenly, I almost crash into him. Letting go of my hand he leans against the compartment door.
"One empty compartment for Lily Luna!" He chuckles and pushes me inside, skipping away gleefully without even a goodbye.
The back of my head hits the window really hard, so I squint and holdup my head with hand. "Owww..." I mumble.
"Ow is bloody right, and what the hell just happened? I saw that lunatic Crowden shove you in here and... Well what do I not know?" Says a voice.
...Wait a voice? No, there is someone here. Wait what?! What happened to this being an empty compartment!
I slowly open my eyes, scared to face the fact there is indeed a boy sitting in front of me.
"Ah! There's someone here! I mean this isn't an empty compartment? I'm so sorry this guy Mr. Crowden just-" I stutter, moving around in my seat a bit frantically. "Is it okay if I stay here?"
"Hm? Yeah no it's fine, stay if you want." He shrugs.
"Well, thanks." I blush awkwardly and look out the window.
Due to me being so anxious in social situations like this, I can't even remember what the guy looks like. I mean, I could just look at him for a second... but that would be too awkward. He would expect me to say something, and I have nothing to say. As I look out the window and watch kings cross station get farther and farther away I try my best to at least look deep in thought.
"So...who are you?" The boy asks, after a good thirty minutes of silence.
"A human being." I say flatly, but really I'm hoping I come across funny. I'm still looking out the window, I won't be able to keep my cool if I look him in the face.
"Well obviously you're more than that, you are on your way to a school for wizards." He replies with a hint of laughter.
"It's a school for wizards and witches." I say a matter-of-factly.
He's going to find me boring real quick.
"Whatever. That's what I meant. Are you going to keep looking out that window or are you going to start trying to talk to me soon?" He snaps, but I can't blame him. He's right.
I turn away from the window and face him, I'm probably still blushing. I still don't have the confidence to look him in the eye, so instead I look at my lap where I am fiddling my thumbs.
"I'm sorry for not talking, I'm really just not good at it." I bite my lip.
He laughs, "What kind of eleven year-old doesn't like to talk? Well this really is something isn't it?" I look up at him now, I figure it's probably rude not to. I discover he is probably a few years older then me, he has blue eyes and brown hair. He's dressed in a black hoodie with a bright white zipper, and his hood was up. Quite attractive I guess, but much much older than myself like I said before. He also has a pair of thick, black, rectangular glasses. "If you were wondering, my name is Justin Wood. Prefect of the Ravenclaw house and Captain of the Ravenclaw quidditch team."
I am quite startled by this information, I know the Wood's. Well, kind of. I know Oliver Wood and his wife Katy, and I am somewhat friends with their daughter Nicole (who is in my year). I've also heard of Albus complaining about Edrik and Eden, who are also apart of the Wood family. They're twins, both in Slytherin, and play on the quidditch team with Albus. He's always complaining about how they can never have a clean game, and how Scorpius is always paying for it somehow. They're also only a year above me. Along with Nicole, Edrik, Eden, there is also Owen and Justin. Owen is in Gryffindor, friends with James I think (same year too). But I've never heard of Justin, or if I did I've just never met him until now.
I think I stare at him for a little too long, because he starts talking again. "You're totally going to be in Ravenclaw."
"You think so? I thought so too, but Al and James keep saying I'll be in Slytherin."
"Wait you're friends with- wait. Oh I know who you are! Yeah I was right! I did recognize you!" Justin spoke excitedly, as if he discovered some world changing information. They always do that. "The rumour is saying you'll be in Gryffindor Lily, they'll sure be shocked when another Potter is not in Gryffindor."
I sigh, "I guess they will be won't they. Although, it's not for certain yet. It's not very wise to assume something so quickly."
I look out the window again. I guess this may be weird, but I'm not that afraid for the sorting. I'll get what I get, it's not like my personality is going to change on this train ride.
"You don't exactly seem thrilled for a first-year. You look rather down actually, is anything bothering you? I know I was nervous when I was going to Hogwarts for the first time, I was leaving my family. I was never away from them for that long before, and since I'm the first-born none of my siblings were there yet. But I know what hit me the hardest, was the realization that even when my brothers and sisters comes to Hogwarts- the chances of them being in the same house of me was very slim." Justin babbled, I think he is trying to comfort me. I don't think I need any comforting, I'm feeling alright. "Actually, it still hits me hard. I guess there is still the chance Nicole will be in Ravenclaw, but I highly doubt it. She's as Hufflepuff as it gets. What I'm trying to say is, you're not going to be as close with you're family as you once were. But you'll find other people, and it will all be okay."
"Uh, thanks. I guess." I force a smile. Really I didn't need to hear any of that, nothing I didn't already know. Was he really in Ravenclaw? Or am I just going to be the odd one out there too? "Um, Justin, how true is everyone's personality to their houses?" I ask, biting my lip nervously again.
"Oh I don't know. Pretty true I guess. I think once you're sorted the traits of your house become stronger, everyone is always concerned about fitting in. Even the Ravenclaws actually, it's like they are trying to be different to fit in. Doesn't really make sense, but teenagers are like that." He says, nodding his head and looking directly at me. I think he's a pretty chill guy, I wonder if everyone at Hogwarts is like this. It's probably just because he's a Prefect though, I heard they tend to act all cool and stuff.
"Oh, well that's-" I start to say, but then I see my favourite cousins at the compartment door.
"Well it looks like you got company! I'll get going then, I probably should be in my assigned prefect seat anyways." Justin says smiling, as he gets up and prances out.
"Lily! We've been looking for you for hours!" Little orange haired Hugo says, climbing into the seat beside me.
Hugo is my best friend since birth, he was born only 3 days after me. Although he still looks a lot younger, maybe around eight or nine. He's already in his robes, and so is my other cousin Louis. Lucy is still in her regular clothes, and she sits across from me and Louis beside her.
"I'm sorry, I would have joined you from the start but I was too late boarding." I grin apologetically. I love these people, and I am so excited to get to see them more often at Hogwarts. But after what Justin said, maybe they'll actually become more distant after all.
Louis yawns and leans his head against the window. "Ay it's fine Lils, but now I'm too tired to do anything but nap." He shuts his eyes and starts drifting off like a baby. Louis can sleep anywhere, my best memory of him is him falling asleep while playing quidditch. He literally just stayed levitated in the air, asleep upright on his broomstick. Louis is a year older than Hugo, Lucy, and I. He was sorted into Hufflepuff, and he happens to be the only one among the Weasley's to be in that house.
Lucy sits quietly in her seat, pulling out a book. Lucy and I look almost identical, and we share almost all the same interests. We both have long straight orange hair, and a very petite frame. Are only differences are her light blue eyes and her freckle-less face. Lucy is also a bit more 'girly'. You know, cute dresses, pink nail-polish, side-braid almost every day, lip gloss, doesn't do sports, basically as girly as you can get for being only eleven.
Hugo rips Lucy's book right out of her hand and smacks Louis straight across his face. "Bloody hell Lou, we're going to Hogwarts! No time for napping! We have so much to discuss, this is going to be amazing." Hugo vents both with enthusiasm and frustration.
I accidentally let out a quiet giggle, I really can't express how thankful I am for these guys.
"My book! Hugo! Give that back!" Lucy says sharply.
"Oh, right. Sorry Lu two." Hugo sighs, passing Lucy her book back. She pets it as if a cat, and looks at the boys disgustedly.
Since both Lucy and Louis have both similar sounding names, they're nicknames are exactly the same. When we were much younger, seven probably, Hugo came up with the idea of calling Lucy 'Lu two'. Because when anyone said 'Lu' or 'Lou', the cousins wouldn't know who that person was talking too. Of course, Rose, Hugo's older sister by two years, thought this was absolutely hilarious. She thought it was bad enough there nicknames were the same as a toilet's, but adding a two at the end was like calling Lucy 'Toilet Poo'. Rose, Dominique, and Roxanne, being the bullies they were and are, haven't stopped bugging Lucy since.
"Hue, c'mon. We've stopped calling her that years ago, get with the times man." Louis said, patting his cheek where a mark was left from the book. His blonde hair has some serious bedhead as well.
Lucy's face burns red, but instead of looking angry she fixes her posture and is regal as ever.
"Okay, okay, sorry, sorry. It's just that's how Rose-" Hugo tries to make an excuse, but being my annoying self I stop him.
"Merlin's beard Hugo, when will it sink in that your sister isn't the greatest role model?" I fume quietly. I know how even the slightest teasing will affect Lucy greatly, she doesn't show it, but inside she's breaking.
Hugo goes quiet, and Lucy starts talking about what house they will all be sorted into. Louis ends up falling asleep, he makes it clear several times he's already been to Hogwarts. After hours and hours of discussing our expectations and worries for what lies ahead, we all fall asleep. Last thing I remember is Hugo's snoring, me leaning on him and starting to sleep myself, and Lucy reading her book.
I wake up to Mr. Crowden banging on the door, we all jump a little in our seats. Well, except for Lucy. She was in a deep sleep curled up like a kitten, her head lay peacefully rested on her book.
"First-years! Come with me!" hollers, banging a wooden spoon on a small cauldron. "Come quickly please, but in an orderly fashion! Don't want you tripping over any feet!"
A/N: Was that a long chapter? Sorry, kind of got carried away there.
For future reference, how many words do you like your chapters/parts? This was about 2600 words, while my previous one was a mere 1000.
By the way I'm writing this as I post (wait does that even makes sense?). What I mean by that is this isn't Pre-Written, I haven't wrote the next part yet.
So if you have any ideas etc, feel free to tell them to me:) I don't just mean for the next part- it could be 20 parts from now idc!
Thank-You so much for reading!