Hey there, I'm here again and updating. On time, too. Aren't you all happy? Well, here goes; enjoy!
Disclaimer: Young Nagini is only partly my creation, but I love her all the same. And of course, what isn't mine is JKR's. . . .
Chapter 11: Arrival
Nagini stared in amazement at the sight in front of her. There was a gleaming scarlet train pumping out white steam. The words The Hogwarts Express were written on its side in gold script. Nagini slowly pushed her trolley away from the barrier and toward the train. There were witches and wizards everywhere, with more appearing every minute from the barrier behind her and from fireplaces filled with green flames that flared up every time that someone stepped through.
And there were so many her age! Nagini saw a girl with bushy brown hair bouncing up and down as she chattered excitedly to her parents. In the corner, a black boy with dreadlocks was showing a small group something in his hands. Suddenly, a few girls screamed as a tarantula scurried up the boy's arm. He laughed and picked it up, cradling it in his hands. Nagini looked around some more. Behind her, a group of redheads streamed through the barrier onto the platform, accompanied by a small black-haired boy with glasses. In the corner by the fireplaces, a woman with blond hair knelt down in front of her son and tried to brush some soot off him, but he pushed her away.
Nagini was abruptly jerked from her people-watching when stumbled into her. Nagini looked over. "Sorry," a smaller girl with dark brown hair muttered without looking at Nagini. Before Nagini could say anything in reply, the girl was gone, and Nagini shook her head. She pushed her trolley over to the train and tried to push her trunk onto the train.
After several failed attempts, Nagini gave up and stood there thinking. Her eyes lit up, and she pulled out her wand. She pointed it at her trunk and with a swish and flick, she said, "Wingardium Leviosa." The trunk began to float, and Nagini used her wand to guide it onto the train. Feeling very pleased with herself, Nagini put her wand away and clambered up onto the train.
"You're really not supposed to do that," said a voice from behind her. Nagini looked down. A slightly weedy-looking boy with light brown hair and clever-looking blue eyes looked up at her.
"What's that?" asked Nagini, wondering what on earth he was talking about.
"Magic. You're really not supposed to do it except at school."
Nagini raised her eyebrows. "Planning on turning me in?" she asked.
He laughed. "No, just thought you should know that way you can make sure no one sees you. I'm Theodore Nott, by the way," he said holding out his hand to her, "but I go by Theo."
"Nagini Ferestael," replied Nagini taking his hand and shaking it. "Thanks for the tip."
"Anytime," he said smiling. "I'll see you around then," he called as he turned and ran down the platform to his parents.
Nagini watched him go and felt a slight pang in her heart. What would it be like, she wondered, to have your family see you off? The other students must miss their families, she thought, no matter how much they tried to hide it, but not her. She didn't miss the orphanage, and she was never with her father anyways.
Nagini pulled herself away from those melancholy thoughts and began to drag her trunk down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment. About two-thirds of the way down the train, she found one. Nagini pulled her trunk inside, and after a quick glance to ensure no one was watching, she pulled out her wand and levitated her trunk onto the rack above her seat. Nagini climbed on her seat and rummaged in her trunk for a book. Grabbing one, she sat back down and proceeded to read until the train left.
The corridor got louder as students rushed back and forth, looking for seats. Nagini ignored them but looked up as a clock began to chime. Right on the eleventh stroke, the train began to pull away from the station. She smiled. She was finally on her way. She let the book lie open on her lap as she stared out the window, watching the platform fade away into the distance. A noise from the corridor made her turn around.
"There's space here," said a boy pointing at Nagini's compartment. He strode in, flanked by two other boys, who put the trunks on the racks while the first boy who spoke sat down across from her. Nagini studied them silently. The boy across from her was blond with steely gray eyes. Nagini recognized him as the boy with the attentive mother from the fireplace. The other two boys dwarfed the blond one. They were large and looked rather like gorillas, Nagini thought. They sat down, and the blond boy spoke up.
"My name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." He paused as if he expected her to recognize his name. When Nagini said nothing, he continued, "that's Vincent Crabbe." He gestured at the boy sitting next to him, who raised a hand. "And Gregory Goyle." He pointed at the boy beside her, who grunted in response.
"Nagini Ferestael," Nagini said clearly when the Malfoy boy looked at her expectantly.
His forehead creased. "I don't think I've heard that name before," he began.
"No, you wouldn't have," replied Nagini. She sighed internally, here goes. "I grew up in an orphanage, you see."
The boy's eyes widened slightly. "So you're Muggle-born then?" he asked, sounding faintly disgusted.
"No," said Nagini coldly, reacting to the tone of his voice. He flinched slightly. "My father was a wizard."
"And your mother?" he asked leaning forward. "Was she a witch?"
"I don't know," Nagini replied stiffly. Mothers were a sore topic. "I never knew her."
"Oh, I'm sorry." He didn't sound very sorry, thought Nagini dryly.
Nagini waved his apology away. "It's quite alright," she lied.
They drifted into silence. The boy, Draco Malfoy, didn't seem to know what to say, and Nagini was not in the mood to chat. The careless questions about her mother stung her. She didn't know if her mother was a witch or not. She didn't even know her mother's name. She had asked her father about it once, but he wouldn't tell her anything. She could recall the conversation exactly.
"What was my mother like?" she asked suddenly.
Her father looked at her closely. "You don't have a mother, Nagini," he replied carefully.
"But—," she began, but he cut her off.
"No buts. You don't have a mother. You have me, your father. Isn't that enough?" he asked.
She nodded miserably, and they sat in silence for the rest of her dream.
That conversation still confused Nagini, for everybody had a mother, even if they never knew her. However, she never brought up the topic again.
Nagini had forgotten about the three boys in the compartment until they began talking about Quidditch. From what Nagini understood of the conversation, Quidditch was a magical sport played on broomsticks. The boys continued to discuss the sport, and Draco Malfoy spent a great deal of time complaining about the rule that prevented first-years from joining the House teams. "I'll be the Seeker," he told the other two boys proudly. "I'll be the best Seeker Hogwarts has ever seen."
The boys, for the most part, ignored Nagini, which was fine by her. She spent her time her time reading her book and staring out the window at the passing scenery. At about noon, a curly-haired witch came by pushing a trolley loaded with sweets. She stopped in front of their compartment. "Anything off the trolley, dears?" she asked.
Crabbe and Goyle leapt from their seats and blundered into the corridor, money in hand. Nagini glanced up briefly but then returned to her book. "Aren't you going to have anything?" a voice asked quietly.
Nagini glanced up. Draco Malfoy was standing her front of her. He nodded to the trolley, and she glanced over to where the witch was handing several small cakes to Crabbe. She turned back and forced a smile. "No, I'm not hungry," she said. He nodded and followed his friends into the corridor. Nagini looked at the trolley wistfully. The treats looked delicious, but McGonagall had said she had just enough money to last her seven years at Hogwarts. Nagini didn't want to waste it.
The boys returned and began discussing Quidditch again. From what Nagini heard, they were talking about last week's match between the Tornadoes and the Cannons and how the Tornadoes should have caught the Snitch much sooner if it weren't for the Bludger that broke their Seeker's arm. Nagini rolled her eyes and concentrated once more on her book. Boys, no matter whether they were Muggle or wizard, only cared about sports.
Later in the day, as the train was running through a valley, Nagini stood up, setting her book down on the seat. She had to go to the loo. Draco glanced up as she made her way out of the compartment but continued talking about his latest adventure on his broom. Once in the corridor, Nagini paused. After a moment's hesitation, she headed to the right.
As she walked, Nagini looked out the windows at the mountains in the distance. Just then she ran into someone. She stumbled back a few steps and looked up. "Sorry," said Nagini. "I wasn't watching where I was going." The other girl glared at her, angrily.
"Well, then, watch where you are going. And get out of my way." Nagini raised her eyebrows, but with a mental shrug, she stepped aside. The girl pushed past her, and Nagini watched her go. The girl had a face remarkably similar to that of a pug, thought Nagini, and she laughed aloud. Halfway down the corridor, girl turned around, suspicious, but Nagini ignored her and continued on her way.
On the way back to her compartment from the loo, being more careful not to run into anybody, Nagini spied a small dark-haired girl with braided pigtails sitting in a compartment with several other girls. Nagini recognized her as the girl who had run into her on the platform. While the other girls were talking and laughing together, the dark-haired girl sat huddled in a corner, staring at the ground.
Nagini felt a pang of pity for the smaller girl. The girl rather reminded Nagini of herself for the past ten years—treated as an outcast even in a group. On an impulse, Nagini slid open the compartment door and sat across from the girl. The other girls in the compartment paid no attention to her, but the dark-haired girl looked up in surprise.
"My name's Nagini Ferestael," Nagini said quietly. "What's yours?"
"Tracey," replied the girl. "Tracey Davis."
"Is this your first year at Hogwarts?" asked Nagini. Tracey nodded. "Mine, too," continued Nagini. "I'm very excited. I could hardly wait for September first to come around. What about you?"
Tracey nodded, smiling slightly. "I'm a bit nervous, though, too. I've never been away from my family before."
Nagini smiled gently at her. "But think of all the friends you'll make, and I'm sure we'll have a lot of classes together."
"I hope so," said Tracey. Nagini smiled brighter. Tracey already seemed happier. The two girls spent the rest of the afternoon talking softly to each other. Tracey told Nagini about her family and her younger brother, and Nagini told Tracey about growing up in the orphanage.
"I hope we're in the same House," said Tracey later.
"Me too," said Nagini. She liked Tracey; the girl seemed very sweet. Nagini glanced out the window of the compartment. The sun had set, and the sky was growing dark. She stood up. "I'm going to have to go," she said. "It looks like we're almost here, and I still need to get my things together and change."
"Alright," said Tracey watching Nagini go. "I'll see you later?" she asked.
"Of course," Nagini replied.
Nagini hurried back to her compartment, smiling. She liked Tracey, and she did hope they were in the same House. Unlike pug-girl, Nagini thought smirking. Now that was a girl who needed a reality check.
Nagini slid back the glass door and entered her compartment as the final vestiges of sunlight faded from the sky. The three boys looked up when she entered. "There you are," said Draco Malfoy. "We're almost here. You can see the castle from the window."
Nagini went over to the window and looked out. Sure enough, there was the castle. It was beautiful, she thought. It towered over the nearby lake and forest, the lights from its windows reflected in the black water. Nagini smiled. She was almost here.
Turning away from the window, Nagini quickly changed and packed up her trunk. She pulled it down onto her seat and waited. A few minutes later, the train slowed to a stop, and the doors flung open into the night sky. Crabbe and Goyle led the way into the corridor, followed by Draco and Nagini. They got off the train and joined the crowd gathering on the platform. Nagini looked around but couldn't see Tracey in the mass of people.
"Leave your trunks on the platform," called a voice. Nagini turned around. An older girl wearing a blue and bronze badge with a "P" on it stood behind her. "They'll be brought to the castle for you," the girl added, seeing Nagini's gaze. Nagini nodded and left her trunk with the pile of other trunks at the edge of the platform.
Before Nagini could wonder where she was supposed to go now, she heard a voice call, "Firs' years! Firs' years! Over here. Al' righ' there, Harry?" Nagini craned her neck and saw the largest man she had ever seen holding a lantern and waving them over. Wondering idly who 'Harry' was, Nagini joined the other first years making their way to the giant.
"Is that everyone?" he asked. A few people nodded, and he turned around leading them down a path surrounded on both sides by thick-growing trees. As they walked down the path, Nagini felt someone slip in beside her.
"Hi, Nagini," said a small voice. It was Tracey.
"Hey, Tracey," said Nagini smiling at her.
They continued down the path until they were walking on the sandy shore of the lake. Directly before them, on the other side of the lake, was Hogwarts.
"Wow," breathed Tracey. Nagini agreed. Wow. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed upon the castle that would be her home for the next seven years.
"Alrigh' everybody," called the giant from up front. "No mor'n four to a boat."
Nagini climbed into the nearest boat, closely followed by Tracey. They were joined by Theo Nott and a tall black boy with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes.
"Hey, Nagini," said Theo climbing into the boat.
"Hey, Theo," she replied before turning to face the front of the boat. The boats silently guided across the lake. Nagini stared at the castle coming closer and closer. She was finally here. She was finally here.
Soooooo? What do you think? I would especially love to hear your opinions of Nagini, Theo, Draco, Pansy, and Tracey—what their characters are like, how they acted, your hopes for what will become of them, etc. Thanks in advance for all the lovely reviews containing character evaluations
As always, check my profile for story updates/progress. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten much farther because I was out of town all weekend Can't really promise much for this week, either, because I have a project to finish up before Monday. (Lucky you, though, because that does not affect your updates at all. Isn't that nice?)
And finally, stay tuned for the upcoming Sorting Ceremony on the 25th!