Elizabeth heard a yelled good bye from downstairs as Mr Weasley left for the day, apparently something had come up that he had to fix straight away. So as she dragged her trunk downstairs Ginny and Hermione filled her in on what had happened and what they knew of one Mad-Eye Moody who happened to be the issue that had come up. Mrs Weasley called the village post office and ordered three very ordinary Muggle taxis to get them to the station.
The drivers did not look impressed at having to load seven very large and extremely heavy trunks into their cars. One driver looked ready to leave after a bunch of Fabulous No-Heat, Wet-Start Fireworks escaped Fred's trunks causing Crookshanks to claw his way up the poor mans leg. All Elizabeth could say was thank Merlin for sending Cleo her Snowy Masked Owl off with a letter to her parents the night before, meaning all she had to contend with was an empty cage. Unlike Harry and Ron, especially as Pigwidgeon was making an awful racked that didn't look like it would be stopping anytime soon.
No one had a comfortable trip to the station as they were all nursing trunks that didn't fit in the boot of the taxi but without too many issues Ginny, Elizabeth and Charlie had survived the trip, though when getting out they did get dreadfully wet lugging their trunks across the road into the station. Elizabeth had never gotten onto the platform before and wondered if it was the same as back home, she quickly learnt it was not, running head long at a wall was not her idea of a great way to start the year. No back home one simply walked to the end of the platform and uttered a password before they passed the turnstile, much safer in her opinion.
Whilst she had issues with the means of getting to the train she had no issues with the train itself. The scarlet steam engine was like something from a dream, and it truly reminded her of home where the only difference was the colour. Hermione quickly pulled her out of her daydream by dragging her towards the train to find a compartment. After they had stowed their things away they made their way back onto the platform where Elizabeth thanked Ms Weasley again for letting her stay.
As the others thanked her she ushered them back onto the train before giving them all a cryptic send off,
"You'll find out this evening, I expect," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling. "It's going to be very exciting - mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules -"
Elizabeth listened to the others bellowing at their mother to tell them what was happening at Hogwarts this year before deciding to go back to the compartment. The others hot on her heels, discussing just what might be going on. Though Hermione quickly shushed the boys when she picked up on just whose voice seemed to be coming from the compartment next to theirs. Getting up she shut the door effectively blocking out Draco's cocky annoying voice.
Hermione then started to explain magic schools in Europe to the boys Elizabeth tuned out looking out the window at the view lost in her thoughts. See Draco looked familiar or at least she thought he did, well his eyes anyway. But she had no idea why, why when she meet him at the World Cup did she feel a connection not strong but familiar. Why was it that she could see clearly a pair of grey eyes looking down on her, they weren't Draco's that's for sure but they looked so like his?
As the rain beat down on the windows of the train as it moved north the lunch trolley moved through and Harry brought a stack of Cauldron Cakes for them all to share. She also got a chance to meet some more of the Gryffindor's that she would be studying with whilst at Hogwarts. She had already heard lots about them all as the girls had tried hard to fill her in on her housemates and especially those in her year. Seamus and Dean had been to the World Cup where as the other boy Neville had not. Elizabeth was excited to meet Neville, Hermione had told her all about him and he reminded her of a friend at her old school, but when he walked into the compartment he nearly feel over just by looking at her. He made a big effort not to have to sit next to her. Due to the conversation being mostly Quidditch related Hermione soon lost interest and started to read, Elizabeth pulled out a book but ended up enjoying what little bits of scenery she could see out her window, through the rain.
Draco's voice soon broke through the compartment and the air grew thick with tension. Instead of sitting through what Elizabeth knew was one of many incidences she would no likely witness throughout the rest of her life at Hogwarts, she simple stood up and pushed past Draco leaving the others to deal with it.
She walked down the train and found Ginny with a group of her friends, sitting and chatting to them for a while before she excused herself and left running head first into one of the twins. "Hello Lillybet what brings you this far from the others?" the twin asked with a sly smirk on his face.
"I left because Draco came in to annoy the others and I decided I wanted no part in it so I got up and left. Now Ginny said we should be close to the Castle so I need to head back and change into my robes. Please move I don't have the energy for any of your mischief right now" Elizabeth's voice broke a little which made her mentally slap herself for showing weakness but Fred she thought, well it seemed like him anyway, grabbed her quickly and pulled her into a hug.
"You need anything at all let us know you may as well be family now that you've stayed at the Burrow." He said looking her in the eye and making sure she knew he meant it before really letting her go back to the compartment she had started the trip in.
It seemed Draco had sent Ron into a bad mood but Elizabeth paid him no mind as she quickly changed into her robes, so different from her old ones. The material was designed to keep her warm not cool and they were so very dark and plain. Her old school had plaid skirts in the house colours, light white cotton blouses, stockings and light robes. When it was cold they added a cardigan under their robes, tights and a small lightweight scarf if it got really cold. Though to be honest she was glad she had the warmer clothes now as it was raining heavily and even more grateful that they would be taking carriages to the castle not the boats as the first years were.