Chapter 1. Goodbye's Greeting
Two tiny twists of a toy were all it took to bring life into the room. The bored silence that had existed only moments ago vanished and the sound of music filled the air, its melody being heard by one set of ears as it drifted around the space and into the hall. It was a lovely tune, its tone airy, and joyful.
Along with the ballad came the dancer. For at the precise instant the song was heard the ballerina was also seen. The second the notes began to play the pretty statue stirred from her frozen state and moved to the music, her soul and mind completely controlled by the song's instrumental. She danced with a beauty and grace no human could possibly achieve, in her glittery silver tutu, pirouetting and gliding on the wooden floor.
To the little ballerina, dancing was her equivalent to breathing. She danced, because besides dance, nothing else mattered. Nothing else was of any importance whatsoever. Well, nothing except her audience, which consisted of just one young brunette.
That brunette, a small girl, sat criss-crossed in front of the porcelain doll, watching with pale green eyes as the miniature figurine leaped and bounded across her bedroom, adjusting its choreography to the area the light pink walls allotted. The girl swayed her head to the song's rhythm, truly appreciating the ballerina and the song that played.
This music box had belonged to her for as long as she could remember and she knew the entire tune by heart. It was her most favorite possession in the world and she had been the one start it now, wanting to see it play one more time before she left. She was also in dire need for something, anything, to distract her while she waited impatiently for the time to pass. But as she tried her best to stop any thoughts from entering her mind and simply watch the ballerina dance, butterflies began fluttering in her stomach and her attention couldn't help but wander from the display in front of her, thinking of where she would be headed to in only a matter of minutes. She smiled softly, her dimples visible, and played with the hem of her lilac skirt, looking but not truly seeing the ballerina any longer.
You see, today was by no means any ordinary day. Today was September the first. It was the day that she had been anxiously waiting for since she was a little girl. It was the day that every single boy and girl in the wizarding world waited his or her entire life for. Today was the day that Iliana was finally going to Hogwarts.
From the moment a brown-feathered owl had given Iliana her Hogwarts letter, nearly two months ago, she had been counting down the days until she would be leaving, and now it was hard to believe it was actually here. This morning she had woken up even before the sun, too excited to sleep any longer, and spent over an hour going over her school list, again, to be absolutely sure she had packed everything she would need this year. The rest of the morning, after her mother forced her to eat breakfast and she had dressed, was spent eagerly waiting to go. At one point, she had been so eager to leave that she even resorted to sitting in front of the Grandfather clock that resided in her family's sitting room, staring up at its round, white face as the small black hand moved one second at a time, willing with all her might for it to go faster. Yet, no matter how much she wished for the time to quicken, it seemed to be moving at an excruciatingly slow pace. That was why she sat here now, in her bedroom, on her floor, with her music box, ultimately trying and failing to occupy herself any way she could.
The creaking of her door was what brought the eleven year old out of her thoughts. She raised her head, wanting to know who was there, when she spotted what had made the noise. She did a double take before nimbly returning her gaze to the still dancing statue, trying her best to suppress her grin. Because, there, peaking through the crack of the slightly ajar door, was a bulbous magenta eye. It did not blink, not even once, as it ogled at Iliana's music box in fascination.
Iliana bit her lip to keep from laughing and spoke as normally as she could, hoping to take the oblivious creature by surprise.
"I know you're there, Jispey." She said nonchalantly, looking at the door out of the corner of her eye.
A high-pitched yelp sounded and the eye, along with the rest of its body, lurched back in shock. Iliana couldn't hold in her laughter any longer as she heard Jispey's embarrassed squeak and a loud crash. In a fit of giggles, she waved her hand and the door opened fully, revealing her family's house-elf, sprawled out on the floor, entangled in its own legs.
Iliana was about to get up to help the elf, when Jispey rushed to right herself and got on her knees, clenching her hands in apology.
"Jispey is sorry, Miss Iliana. So very sorry!" Jispey sobbed. Her big, pointy ears were bent in shame and tears fell from her enormous eyes. "Jispey did not mean to spy! She was only curious! She heard the pretty music!"
Iliana's eyes widened remorsefully and she instantly regretted scaring the poor creature.
"Oh no, you did nothing wrong, Jispey!" Iliana exclaimed, shaking her head vigorously. "I'm the one who should be sorry! I was just trying to play with you!"
Jispey paused mid-cry and looked hopefully into her eyes.
"So, Miss Iliana is not upset with Jispey?" she asked timidly. Her eyes widened when Iliana shook her head again and smiled softly.
"Of course not, Jispey. You can come to my room whenever you want. I don't mind. You know that. Come." Iliana said, ushering the elf closer so that she could have a clear view of the enchanted figurine. She felt bad for making Jispey cry and truly wanted to help her feel better.
Jispey perked up immediately and blew her long, pointy nose with the white pillowcase she wore before wobbling over. Iliana patted her head affectionately and they both turned to watch the rest of the dance. It came to an end a minute or so later.
"Thank you. Your performance was very lovely." Iliana said politely, clapping for the toy dancer. Jispey bashfully nodded her head in agreement. The ballerina, pleased with the compliment, bowed graciously, gave one final twirl and sashayed back to her silver pedestal, immobilizing into an arabesque pose once she was on it.
Iliana stood up to put the music box back where it belonged, and smiled when she saw that Jispey had continued to stare at it as she carried it carefully over to her bedside table.
"Did you like the dance, Jispey?" Iliana asked knowingly, sitting on her bed. Jispey nodded fanatically. "Well, while I'm gone you can listen to it whenever you'd like, alright? Take special care of it for me."
Jispey clasped her hands in elation.
"Of course, Miss Iliana. Jispey will take good care of the mistresses' music box."
"Good." Iliana sighed, tracing one of the hundred sparkly gold swirls that decorated her bedspread.
Jispey smiled merrily, and continued to stare at Iliana from where she stood in the center of the room.
"Sit down." Iliana told the elf, patting a spot on the bed. But Jispey simply plopped down on the floor, content to sit where she was. Iliana shook her head and laughed.
"Is Miss Iliana ready for Hogwarts?" Jispey squeaked.
Just to hear the word Hogwarts made Iliana excited. She smiled brightly.
"Yes! I can't wait, Jispey! Can you believe it? I'm going to Hogwarts! Me!" Iliana almost shouted, bouncing in her seat, her heart bubbling with pure excitement. So absorbed in her glee, she missed the sad look Jispey gave her.
"Jispey will miss, Miss Iliana." Jispey whispered dolefully, looking down at her hands in her lap.
Iliana frowned at the elf's words, apprehending for the first time that she would not be seeing Jispey again until Christmas. The two had shared a special bond since Iliana was a small child, and had never spent much time apart until now. Iliana walked over to Jispey and sat down in front of her.
"I'm going to miss you too, Jispey." Iliana replied. "But its not forever, and just you wait, when I get back I'll have loads and loads of Hogwarts stories to tell you!"
"Really?"
"Really! I'll tell you all about the new friends I've made, and my classes, and all the spells I've learned!"
Iliana grinned when Jispey's eyes lit up in anticipation.
"Miss Iliana must go to Hogwarts now then! The sooner Miss goes, the sooner she comes back and tells Jispey her stories!"
Iliana barked out a laugh as Jispey scrambled to the door, now completely thrilled with the idea of her departure.
Not a second later, a voice came from downstairs.
"Girls, its time to go." her Mother called.
Iliana jumped up, grinning from ear to ear. It was finally time!
"Its time to go, its time to go!" She sang happily, while Jispey spun around in joy. Iliana analyzed her room to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. Once sure she had everything packed, she darted over to her trunk, and gripped the handle, trying to lift it without much success. The trunk was too heavy. She barley managed to drag it across the floor a bit, when Jispey came to her aid.
"Would Miss Iliana like some help?" she inquired respectfully. Iliana rolled her eyes and held the bridge of her nose, realizing how silly she had just been.
"Yes, please!" she said, stepping away from the trunk. Jispey promptly stepped forward, grasped the case, and disappeared with a pop, taking the trunk with her.
"Thank you!" Iliana whispered, although she knew Jispey probably didn't hear her. She hurried to pick up her cat carrier, ready to sprint down the stairs, but there was a problem. There was no cat inside the crate.
Iliana blanched.
"Ianthe." She called. "Ianthe, come here girl. We have to go." She let out an exasperated breath and speedily walked around her room, checking behind her curtains, in her wardrobe, and every nook and cranny the kitten could have been in. She had just gotten on her hands and knees to look under the bed when her sisters passed by, both urging her to hurry up as they made their way to the stairs. It was just Iliana's luck that when she lifted the duvet, and peeked under her mattress, she found her. The gray and white Turkish Angora feline was in the dark, curled up, and sleeping peacefully.
Iliana pulled her out, holding the furry animal to her chest gently.
"So, that's where you were hiding." She kissed her sweetly. "I couldn't possibly go to Hogwarts without you now, could I?" The kitten meowed in response and Iliana gingerly put her in the tiny crate, closing the latch.
"Come on, let's go!" She told Ianthe, skipping out of her bedroom and down the hall. She practically ran down the stairs, keeping a hold on the railing to steady herself incase she tripped.
She found her Mother and sisters in the sitting room.
"Are we all ready to go?" Celine asked her daughters as Iliana stepped into the room, glancing at each one. Her caramel hair was styled in a chignon, and the robes she wore were of the deepest coral.
"Yes, Mummy." Iliana replied, hopping over to her Mother.
Celine bent down to Iliana's height, adjusting the bow in her hair, and smoothing out her skirt to rid it of any wrinkles.
"Are you sure, darling?" She said as she stepped back, raising an eyebrow at her youngest daughter. "You have your robes? Books? Quills? Cauldron?"
Iliana bobbed her head up and down.
"Yes, Mum."
"Of course she has everything, Mother. She's checked her luggage just about a million times." Vianney teased from where she sat on the sofa, applying a ruby red lipstick. Her light brown hair was cut in a stylish bob, which, according to Witch Weekly, was the most fashionable hairstyle of the season, and her hazel eyes shined with amusement as she looked at herself in the hand mirror she held.
Iliana flushed bright red, and looked down at her feet.
Seeing that her feelings had been hurt, Iliana's other and oldest sister, Annalise, a simple girl with a single plait holding back her dirty blonde hair, elbowed Vianey in the ribs.
"Oww!" Vianney squealed, gaping at Annalise, who had a smug smirk on her face. "That hurt!"
"It was supposed to." Annalise shrugged, not paying attention to the nasty look Vianney sent her way. Instead, she placed her index finger on her chin and looked deep in thought, her brows furrowed in deep concentration. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Vianney, but when you were about to be a first year, didn't you wear your school robes every day until we went off to school? That seems a tad more ridiculous than checking a suitcase, don't you think?" she asked cleverly, winking a brown eye at Iliana.
Iliana laughed. She had only been six when Vianney went to Hogwarts for the first time, but she did vaguely remember seeing her prance around the house in her uniform constantly that summer after buying them in Diagon Alley.
Standing up and crossing her arms over her chest in humiliation, Vianney's face became the same shade as her painted lips. Both sisters began to laugh at her heartily, and even Celine, who tried keeping a straight face, let out a few chuckles. Vianney stomped her foot and let out a whine.
"Don't we need to get going, Mother? We wouldn't want to miss the train." She complained, trying her best to change the topic.
Celine sighed and nodded, holding out a manicured hand to Iliana. Iliana grasped it and Celine looked to Annalise.
"Alright, lets go. Annalise, are you sure your fine apparating, dear?" she asked, her face displaying uncertainty. Annalise rolled her eyes, and linked Vianney's arm with hers.
"We'll be fine, Mum. I passed my test, didn't I? They wouldn't of given me my license if I wasn't good at it."
Vianney's eyes widened in panic and she tried to pull away.
"Oh, no! You've only just gotten it, Annalise! I refuse to be splinched just because you want to prove to Mum that you can apparate!"
Annalise threw her an annoyed glance and waved.
"We'll see you there!" She said brilliantly, pulling Vianney to her roughly. Vianney shrieked and then with a loud crack the pair was gone.
Celine glanced at Iliana.
"Hold on, darling." She said firmly.
Iliana nodded once and took a deep breath, tightening her grip on Celine's hand as much as she could. She clenched her other hand onto Ianthe's carrier, and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the journey. Almost instantaneously, she was yanked off the ground and sucked into the portal, her body twisting and turning at extremely intense speeds. She was pulled and stretched in every direction, and her insides felt as though they had been transformed to gelatin, flipping and flopping rapidly within her. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. The movements made Iliana's head spin and she suddenly felt very, very dizzy. But almost as quickly as it started, it stopped.
Iliana felt Celine's arms steady her as their feet made contact with the hard stone floor, keeping her from loosing her balance and falling over. With her eyes still closed, she could hear laughter, chatter, and hasty movement close by. Slowly, she opened them, her vision being met with King's Cross Station. Everywhere she looked there were people, the station overflowing with Muggles. They rushed about the station in strange clothes, children, adults, and the elderly, all hurriedly bustling to get to their trains.
"Come on, girls." Celine said, straightening her back and walking into the sea of people, her heels clicking against the floor with every step she took. Iliana followed after her, Annalise and Vianney not far behind.
The three grabbed trolleys and placed their luggage onto them before moving through the station towards the barrier. Iliana tried her best not to crash into anyone with her cart on the way there, but she had only narrowly missed hitting a rather large muggle man with a bushy mustache when he walked right in front of her trolley. She opened her mouth to apologize, but the man merely glowered at her and continued walking, his expression changing into a haughty sneer as he turned to the exit.
"Platform nine and three-quarters!" Iliana heard him snort in disbelief, sounding like a pig. "Preposterous! They're all mad, the whole lot of them. Should have just flown on their magic carpets instead of riding on a train that doesn't exist!"
Iliana narrowed her eyes at the beefy man's comment and wasn't surprised when a woman's polka dot umbrella "unexpectedly" burst open right in front of him. The brolly hit his round stomach with such a great force that it sent him tumbling flat down on his bum. Iliana giggled at the rude man's flabbergasted, red face, and continued on her way, trailing after her sisters.
"Must the station be filled to the brim with Muggles every single year?" Celine sighed, having witnessed the entire interaction between the Muggle and her daughter. She raised a disapproving brow at Iliana, but didn't comment on it as she helped guide her through the crowd. The man had been very uncouth after all.
They came to a halt when they reached the barrier, stopping to stand a little farther back as they waited their turn to pass through it.
For in front of the wall, exactly between platforms nine and ten, stood a boy. His hands were tensely gripped onto the handle of his trolley as he remained there, eyeing the brick wall in front of him with wide, unbelieving eyes. He made no move to move, and stayed rooted to where he was, not breathing or blinking. Anyone, Muggle or Wizard, could tell that he was nervous. Iliana couldn't see his face, but she could see that he had messy black hair and wore clothes that were obviously way too loose for his thin frame.
By him were three others. A plump woman, with a kind face and bright red hair, and two youths. One was a tall, lanky boy with a long nose and a face full of freckles. The other was a younger girl with matching freckles and chin-length hair decorated with colorful barrettes. They had to be the woman's children, considering they all shared the same shade of flaming red locks.
Out of the three, Iliana hadn't heard any of them utter a word to the boy. They did not open their mouths to explain to him that he actually had to go through the wall or even ask if he was all right. They simply stared at him expectantly, patiently waiting for him to walk through it. Iliana wondered if they had already enlightened him on what he had to do to get to the other side or if he still had absolutely no clue.
"Do you think he needs help?" Iliana pondered aloud, not taking her eyes off the raven-haired boy.
Hearing what she said, the boy was abruptly broken from his daze and sharply turned his head to where her voice had come from.
Iliana's breath stopped short at the sudden look he gave her, completely taken off guard. She was speechless, unable to conjure one coherent thing to say to him as his pretty eyes pierced hers. Behind the broken, round spectacles he wore were the greenest eyes she had ever seen. They were bright and vivid, like emeralds. She continued to stare into them, and he into her's, both unable to look away. Another second passed before the boy pulled his gaze from hers, and shook his head, looking sheepishly at the polished floor as a blush appeared on his pale cheeks.
"I know what to do, but thanks." He told her quietly, giving her a small smile. He took a deep breath and turned to face the wall again, a determined look crossing his features. Without a second thought, he bolted towards the bricks, pushing his trolley as fast as his legs could carry him and disappeared.
Vianney giggled into her hand.
"Seems someone already fancies you, Iliana!" She taunted. "And by the looks of it, you fancy him too." She said, wiggling her brows flirtatiously.
Blinking, Iliana turned her gaze from where the boy had just gone and glared at Vianney. Her cheeks burned and the rapid beating of her heart thumped loudly in her ears.
"I do not!" She exclaimed, avoiding Vianney's eyes as she watched the red heads pass through the barrier as well.
"Its alright, Iliana. You're a pretty girl; it's to be expected. I'm quite proud of you actually. Not even on the train yet and you've already got an admirer."
Iliana stuck her tongue out at her in irritation, and looked to Annalise for help, but the seventeen year old was already progressing through the barrier. She resorted to covering her ears with her hands as Vianney continued to badger her. Celine stepped in when Vianney began making kissing noises.
"Vianney Vose! Are you a young lady or a young child? Leave your sister alone and hurry through the barrier. The train is leaving soon." She ordered, gesturing to the wall.
Vianney huffed at being compared to a child, but relented her taunting and pushed her cart through the barrier.
"Are you ready, love?" Celine asked, smiling down at Iliana.
Forgetting her encounter with the boy, for the moment, and the teasing that ensued, Iliana nodded and smiled, revealing all of her white teeth. The two quickly checked their surroundings to make sure no Muggles were around, and moved forward. Iliana ran to the wall, her smile widening as she got closer and closer to the barrier, while Celine walked at a casual pace, content to watch her sprint happily ahead.
Immediately, Iliana passed through the brick and stepped onto platform nine and three-quarters. The sight Iliana was granted with when she stepped onto it was incredible. It was true that she had ventured to the platform many times during the years to drop off her sisters at the Hogwarts Express, so she had seen it before, but like year after year the view still somehow managed to leave her breathless. Gazing around her in awe, she recognized the scarlet red train, steaming and waiting to proceed to Hogwarts. It let out a loud whistle to remind the students of the upcoming departure. Besides it, on the platform, stood several magical families, populating the stage, and saying their goodbyes to their children. They talked animatedly to one another, laughing and crying over the sound of cats meowing and owls hooting from their cages.
Leaning against their trolleys, Annalise and Vianney grinned as they watched Iliana take everything in, remembering how they had been when they left for Hogwarts for the first time. Next to them, Celine fished her favorite handkerchief out of her bag, preparing for the tears that were sure to fall when she said farewell to her children.
"Well," spoke Vianney impatiently, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Are we going to stand here all day?" she probed, pushing her cart forward slightly.
"Lets go." Annalise continued. "We have a train to catch." She strolled further onto the platform, Vianney alongside her.
"Hey!" Iliana shouted as they kept going, shoving her cart as fast as she could to keep up with their strides. "Wait for me!"
The three stopped when they reached an open space on the platform and turned around to face Celine. It was time to say goodbye.
"Alright, girls. Behave, all of you!" Celine warned, eyeing all three of the girls.
They nodded.
"Study hard, especially you two." She pointed to Annalise and Vianney. "You both have O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s to take this year and I want you to do your absolute best."
The pair nodded again, pointing to their heads and giving her thumbs up, assuring her that they would.
"And take care of your sister." She commanded.
Vianney jerked Iliana to her, pinching her cheeks and cooing at her as if she were a baby. Iliana swatted her hands away while Annalise smiled at Celine.
"We'll take good care of her, Mum." She promised whole-heartedly.
Celine smiled sadly, her eyes becoming glassy.
"I know you will." She sniveled, dabbing her face with her hanky. "Your Father and I love you very much!"
She gave Annalise and Vianney a tight squeeze and kissed the tops of their heads before bending down to Iliana.
It was then, as Iliana looked into Celine's copper eyes, that a tight knot began to form in her chest. This was the first time she would be away from home, be away from her parents. She was ecstatic to be going to Hogwarts, but she was going to miss her Mum and Dad terribly. How was she supposed to go every day without seeing or speaking to them? Without any warning, tears began to stream down her cheeks and she flung her arms around Celine's neck, closing her eyes and inhaling the rose scented perfume she always wore. Celine embraced her back, holding her tightly against her chest.
"I'll miss you, Mummy." Iliana whispered, burying her face into Celine's shoulder. "Tell Daddy I'll miss him too." She wished her Father could have joined them today to see her off, but he had to work.
Tears fell from Celine's eyes as she stroked Iliana's long, ebony hair.
"I will, sweetheart!" She murmured, before pulling back, and kissing her cheek. "We love you. Be good, and don't forget to write." Celine said, grasping Iliana's hands.
"I wont. I'll write every week." Iliana promised, hugging her one last time before going to stand near her sisters.
"Goodbye, girls." Celine cried.
"Bye, Mum." They shouted back as they began making their way to the train, blending into the crowd.
"Look whose staring again." Vianney chuckled as they maneuvered through the maze of people, pointing towards the end of the train.
Iliana scanned the area curious to find out whom she was referring to. That's when she noticed him. It was the boy with jet-black hair, the one from the barrier. He was already on the train, sitting in his own compartment, watching Iliana through the window. She smiled. As their eyes met for the second time, he jumped, embarrassed that he had been caught staring and looked away from her, blushing madly. Iliana giggled, shaking her head at his actions. There was something different about him, something that intrigued Iliana. She didn't know what it was that captivated her, but she was sure she would find out.
The threesome eventually found an entry that wasn't completely busy with students climbing in and lifted their luggage aboard, ascending into the train soon after. Iliana, determined to find the boy and become his friend, hastily grabbed Ianthe's carrier and her trunk. She had started to heave her luggage in the direction of his compartment when her sisters realized she wasn't following them, but heading in the opposite direction.
"Where are you going?" Annalise questioned in confusion.
"I'm going to find a compartment. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. See you at school!" Iliana explained swiftly, focused on dragging her trunk down the narrow corridor.
Annalise and Vianney stared after her, puzzled, but then simply shrugged and went off to find their friends.
Iliana walked further down the aisle. She checked every compartment, tuning out the laughter and conversations of others as she concentrated on catching sight of black hair and glasses. Finally, she discerned them and the boy. He was alone in the compartment, silent as he stared out the window, completely unaware of Iliana's presence.
"Hello." She said in a friendly tone, stopping to stand just before the compartment.
The boy quickly looked away from the glass, his eyes going wide as he recognized her.
"Oh, hello." He replied, ruffling the hair on the back of his neck. A tinge of pink was already starting to appear on his cheeks.
Iliana only smiled.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" She questioned, hoping the boy didn't turn her away.
"You, you want to sit with me?" He asked in confoundment.
Iliana nodded and the boy swallowed.
"Sure."
Iliana beamed at his answer, and reached down to tow her trunk into the compartment. But the boy flew to his feet and beat her to it.
"Here, let me help you." He offered, bringing in Iliana's luggage for her. It was difficult for him to carry too, but since he was bigger than her, it was a tad easier.
"Thank you." Iliana told him, watching with unease as he tried lifting it above his head to store on the luggage rack. He teetered back and forth, struggling to keep ahold of it. Worried that he would hurt himself attempting to put it there, she scurried to his side, standing on her tiptoes as she pushed against the trunk to help him. They had it half way up on the rack when the train began to move. The shifting of the locomotive knocked the two off balance, and they barley managed to shove the case onto the shelf before being propelled backwards, tumbling roughly onto the carpeted floor.
"Oomph!" Iliana voiced as the boy landed on top of her, cutting off her air supply. He lifted himself onto his hands, not wanting to crush her with his weight, and struggled to get up.
"Are you alright?" He asked in concern, grabbing her hand to help her off the floor.
Iliana laughed and nodded.
"I'm fine." She assured him as they faced one another, still holding hands. "I'm Iliana, by the way." She said with a grin.
The boy smiled and introduced himself.
"I'm Harry."
"It's nice to meet you, Harry." Iliana said sincerely as they took a seat across from each other. She placed Ianthe's carrier next to her on the bench and unlocked the crate. The kitten, fully awake now, peaked her head out of it hesitantly, observing her surroundings, Harry included. Iliana called for her, but the cat's eyes were solely on him, watching him in curiosity. She stepped out of the crate, and stretched before walking over to him, meowing as she sat on his lap.
"She likes you." Iliana commented, smiling softly.
"What's her name?" Harry asked, scratching behind the feline's ears.
"Ianthe." answered Iliana.
"Ianthe…" he repeated. "I've never heard that name before. What does it mean?"
"Oh, um, Violet flower."
"For her eyes?" Harry assumed, picking up the kitten to get a better look at the violet-blue orbs.
"Exactly." Iliana replied.
An ardent hoot sounded just then, reminding the compartment that there was more than one animal in the room. A snow-white owl sat in a cage beside Harry, her amber eyes trained on Iliana as she fidgeted on her perch.
"And who's this?" Iliana inquired, reaching forward to slip her fingers between the bars of the cage to pet the gorgeous bird.
"Hedwig" Harry answered, smiling at the reaction his pet and Iliana had on each other.
"Hello, Hedwig." Iliana murmured, stroking her feathers as Hedwig affectionately nipped at her hand.
The door of the compartment slid open and the redheaded boy Iliana remembered seeing Harry with at the barrier came in.
"Excuse me, is anyone sitting there?" He asked, pointing at the empty seat next to Harry. "Every where else is full."
"No." Iliana answered, grinning at the gangly boy as Harry shook his head.
The boy gave Iliana a shy, uneasy smile and sat down. He stole a quick glance at Harry and then looked straight up at the ceiling, pretending he hadn't looked at all. Iliana and Harry, who saw him do this, exchanged a perplexed look. Iliana wanted to start a conversation with him, but it was hard to when all he did was peek at Harry through the side of his eye. She saw Harry shift uncomfortably.
"Um, hi." She said, wanting to take the boy's attention off of him.
Harry smiled at her gratefully.
"I'm Iliana, and that's Harry." The boy froze when she said Harry's name, his eyes widening in total disbelief. "What's your name?" She asked tentatively, wondering what was wrong with him.
"Ron." He choked out before turning to gap at Harry openly. "Are you really Harry Potter?"
Iliana's jaw dropped, completely dumfounded. Had she heard him correctly? Did he just say…Harry Potter? Her eyes grew wide when Harry nodded his head.
Iliana couldn't believe it! Suddenly, she understood why Ron had been acting so oddly. Harry wasn't just Harry. No! He was Harry Potter! The Harry Potter! He was the boy who lived. The boy who defeated You-Know-Who when he was just a baby. The boy who ended the war and saved the Wizarding World.
"Harry Potter." she whispered to herself. "You're really him?" Iliana asked quietly, wanting him to confirm it again.
Harry nodded his head.
"Yeah."
"So – so it's true. I thought it was just one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got – I mean, do you really have the… the…"
"The what?" Harry asked, confused.
"The scar…?" Ron whispered, pointing at Harry's forehead.
"Oh, yeah." Harry smiled, pulling his bangs back to show the lightning bolt scar.
Ron and Iliana stared.
"Wow," Iliana breathed.
"Wicked," Ron exclaimed. "So that's where You-Know-Who…"
"Yes," Harry said, "but I can't remember it."
"Nothing?" Ron asked eagerly.
"Well – I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else." He replied, shrugging.
"You may not remember, but still, thank you, Harry." Iliana expressed at once, taking him by surprise. "My parents have told me what our world was like during the war, and if it weren't for you it might of still been like that, maybe even worse."
She caused Harry to blush, yet again.
"Um, your welcome." He told her humbly, smiling slightly.
As a silence fell over the trio, Iliana looked out the window to find that the train had already taken them out of London and was now speeding past green fields filled with cows and sheep.
"Are all your families wizards?" Harry asked Ron and Iliana inquisitively, breaking the quietness.
They both nodded.
"I'm pretty sure…" Iliana answered. As far as she knew, everyone in her family was a wizard or witch.
"Er – Yes, I think so," Ron said unsurely. " I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."
"So you must know loads of magic already."
"Some. And you?" Iliana questioned Harry.
"Nothing at all really." He admitted.
"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"
Iliana tilted her head in interest. She had never really interacted with muggles too much, and tried imagining what it would be like to actually live with one.
"Horrible – well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though." He said, making a face.
"Are they really mean to you?" Iliana asked out of worry for him. He shrugged his shoulders awkwardly.
"They just aren't really the nicest people. They don't really treat me like, family, I guess."
Iliana frowned.
"They always make me do loads of chores, and I've always had nothing to wear but my cousin's old clothes." He muttered, pulling on his huge, blue plaid shirt. "And they never really even celebrate my birthday."
Iliana's mouth fell open. How could they not celebrate his birthday?
"And until Hagrid told me, I didn't even know I was a wizard. They never told me anything about being able to do magic or about my parents or Voldemort."
Ron gasped and Iliana froze.
"What?" asked Harry, taking turns to look at both Iliana's and Ron's pale faces.
"You," Ron gulped. "You said,"
"You said You-Know-Who's name!" Iliana finished for Ron, staring at Harry in astonishment.
Ron stared at him also, shocked and impressed.
"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, trying to correct his mistake. "I just never knew you shouldn't. You see? I've got loads to learn…I bet, I bet I'm the worst in the class."
"You won't be!" Iliana proclaimed, shaking her head feverishly.
"Iliana's right, Harry. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough. You'll be fine."
A clattering came from the hallway and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their compartment door, interrupting their conversation.
"Anything off the trolley, dears?" she asked sweetly, displaying a cart bearing numerous amounts of goodies and sweets.
Iliana's mouth watered. She absolutely loved candy.
"No, thanks, I'm all set." Ron said glumly, holding up mushed, lumpy sandwiches wrapped in plastic.
Seeing his face and the state of his sandwiches, Iliana had decided that she was going to buy him something while Harry dug into his pockets and pulled out a handful of Sickles, Galleons, and Knuts.
"We'll take the lot!" He exclaimed, grinning at Ron and Iliana.
"Whoa!" They said in unison, gaping at the amount of coins in his hands.
Before long, the compartment was filled with treats, the candy overflowing from the empty space between Ron and Harry onto the floor. Harry made sure to pass Iliana all the candy she wanted before the three exchanged huge smiles and dug in. They spent the next hour stuffing their faces with Licorice Wands, Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Pasties, and so much more, enjoying the treats and each other's company.
"These aren't really frogs, are they?" Harry asked cautiously, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs.
"No." Iliana guaranteed, licking her Sugar Quill. "It's only a spell."
"Besides, it's the cards you want!" Ron told him, reaching out to grab a gold and blue pack. "Each pack's got a famous witch or wizard. I've got about five hundred meself."
Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog, but was too slow to keep it from escaping. The frog jumped out of his hands and onto the window, letting out a loud croak before leaping out.
"Oh, that's rotten luck. They've only got one good jump in them to begin with." said Ron as he tightened his grip on his own frog and took a bite.
"I got Dumbledore." Harry announced, holding out the card so Iliana and Ron could see him. An old man with long silver-white hair, a long, crooked nose, and half-moon spectacles stared back at them, giving them a small smile.
"I got about six of him." Ron boasted.
"Hey, he's gone!" Harry exclaimed, staring at the card with wide eyes.
Amused, Iliana giggled as Harry shook the card to see if he could somehow get the wizard to reappear.
"Harry, he isn't going to stay there all day." She said, earning a confused look from him. "He'll come back."
"No, I've got Morgana again." Ron sighed, tossing his card onto the seat.
"You know, in the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos." Harry enlightened Iliana, passing her another candy.
"Really?" She asked in disbelief. "They don't move at all?"
Harry shook his head.
"That's weird." Ron remarked.
"What else is different in the Muggle world?" Iliana asked Harry, wanting to know more.
She helped Harry open more packs of Chocolate Frogs to collect the cards, while Ron ate them, listening to Harry as he told her everything he knew about it. It was very fascinating. In turn, she and Ron told him everything they could about their world. Once no more packs of Chocolate Frogs remained, the three simply moved on to eating more candy.
Iliana had just taken a bite of a Chocoball, tasting the delicious strawberry and cream filling, when Harry opened a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.
"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor! You can get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George swears he even got a bogey-flavored one once."
"Yuck!" Iliana squirmed, trying to get the image of eating a bogey-flavored bean out of her head.
Ron picked up a green bean, examined it carefully, and bit into a corner.
"Bleaaargh – see? Sprouts." He spat, taking a bite of a Pumpkin Pasty to get rid of the bad taste.
"Try one." He urged Harry and Iliana.
"No way!" Iliana said her face scrunched in distaste. "I always get a bad flavor." She huffed, feeling sorry for herself.
Every single time Iliana had ever tried one of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, she got a nasty flavor. She never got a nice one, like Marshmallow or Blueberry pie. No. It was always something gross, like vomit or ear wax.
"Coconut." Harry mused happily, chewing on a bean.
"What?" Iliana asked skeptically, watching Harry's pleased expression.
"They're good, Iliana. Here, just taste one!" He encouraged, passing her the pouch.
"Nuh-uh!" said Iliana, stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest.
"C'mon! I dare you to try one." Ron challenged. "And if you get a bad flavor Harry and I will never ask you to eat another one ever again! Right, Harry?"
Harry nodded.
Iliana scowled at the two before rolling her eyes and giving in.
"Oh, alright." She muttered, taking the bag out of Harry's hand.
"You just have to choose the one that looks the best. That's what I did." Harry advised.
Still hesitant, Iliana looked down into the bag, staring at the colorful beans. Maybe Harry was right. She had never picked one by color before, maybe that would make a difference. And just because she had always gotten bad flavors in the past didn't mean she would always get bad flavors.
After inspecting them all very warily, Iliana picked a bright yellow one.
"Please be Banana!" She begged the bean, taking a deep breath before popping it into her mouth.
It wasn't Banana.
"Eww!" Iliana cried in disgust, wanting to gag. "Rotten egg!"
The boys burst out in laughter, unable to control themselves as Iliana flailed her arms around frantically, looking for something to spit it out in. Harry handed her an empty pack of Chocolate Covered Frogs.
"I'm never eating one of those ever again!" She vowed, unable to get the awful taste off of her tongue. "Never!"