Work Title: Nina's Destiny
Author: MeggieBlack
Summary: Growing up in Manhattan, Antonina Jackson was used to strange things. It hardly bothered her at all when she became friends with two, slightly odd twelve year olds. Almost nothing could catch her off guard, except maybe finding out she was a muggleborn witch, or that her dad's a Greek god. But what about when her two best friends turn out to be not so normal either? Born into three separate worlds Antonina needs to learn how to harness her magic while dealing with two different prophecies.
Main Pairing: Apollo/Antonina
Side Pairings: Lavender Brown/Perseus Jackson; Parvati Patil/Leo Valdez; Jason Grace/Piper McLean; Sirius Black/OC; Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks; Frank Zhang/Hazel Levesque; Nico di Angelo/Will Solace (As more come up, I will add them)
Chapter Word Count: 2,204
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Harry Potter. They belong to their amazing authors. I do own Nina and everything else you do NOT recognize.
Revision Date: January 10, 2015
Chapter Six: The Hogwarts Express
It was the first day of September, and I was saying my last goodbyes to Mom and Percy. It was 5:15, but Mom needed to take Percy to his boarding school upstate.
"I promise I'll write all the time," I said as I let go of my brother only to be engulfed in a hug by Mom.
"Are you sure you'll be fine waiting for Morgan and Diane? "she asked worriedly. Her eyes skated to look up the stairs where Gabe was fast asleep.
"I'll stay extra quiet," I assured her. I wasn't too worried. Gabe slept like a pulled me into an extra tight hug before exiting the apartment with my twin.
Sighing, I sat down on the couch with the guitar Morgan gave me for my 11th birthday. It was almost as good as my flute which was safely packed away in my trunk.. The guitar was made of dark cherry wood and was absolutely gorgeous. I began strumming Realize by Collie called while I waited for my two best friends. As I finished the last chord, I heard a soft clapping. It wasn't slow and sarcastic like Gabe's, so it could be two things.
1) Mom and Percy forgot something and came back in or...
2) Morgan and Di were here!
"You've gotten pretty good, Nina," Diane applauded.
"Thanks, Di," I grinned. I carefully put my guitar away in its case and clamped the clasps. "You guys are early! I wasn't expecting you for another 10 minutes!" Morgan laughed happily.
"We figured you were pretty excited," he explained. "That you'd want to get over there as soon as physically possible." Morgan bent down to pick up my trunk, and Di grabbed my guitar case. I picked up Skittles' cage, and Diane held her free hand out to me. I grabbed it, and Morgan took Di's shoulder. All three of us closed our eyes in preparation to Light Travel to London. Mages are able to harness their element to travel from Point A to Point B.
Five seconds later, when we opened our eyes, we were standing in the middle of an alleyway next to King's Cross Station. After fixing my watch to the correct time since we switched time zones, Morgan, Diane, and I exited the alley, and Morgan helped me load my things onto a trolley. Morgan lead the way into the station and over to the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10.
"I guess this is goodbye for now, "I said, staring at the barrier. It suddenly hit me that I was an entire ocean away from home to go to school. I wouldn't see Mom, Percy, Morgan, or Diane until Winter Break at the earliest. I felt tears burn at the backs of my eyes. Diane pulled me into a tight hug.
"Next time we see you," she said, "You can show us all the cool magic you learned at school." She let me go, and Morgan pulled me into his arms.
"Yeah, Sparkles," he laughed, but I could still hear his voice cracking. I buried my face in his Beatles T-shirt, and he rested his chin on my head. "Promise you'll write at least once a week?"
"As long as you promise to write me back," I sniffled. I couldn't help myself.
"Of course," he promised. "And before you go, Di and I made something for you." Morgan pulled back, and Diane handed me a large book bound in what looked and felt like pastel purple leather. On the top of the front cover, my nickname, Sparkles, was written in silver cursive. Underneath was a picture of Morgan, Diane, and me.
"It goes in chronological order of all the times we've hung out together since we met," Diane explained. "So no matter what new friends you make, you'll always have a little piece of us." I felt a few tears leak down my cheeks as I hugged Diane.
"Thank you both so much," I said as I hugged Morgan one last time. Morgan kissed my forehead, and I could have sworn I saw tears in his eyes.
"We'll see you 'round, Sparkles," he said, ruffling my hair. I glared, but my heart wasn't in it. Diane grabbed Morgan's hand, and the twins left the train station.
Turning back to the barrier, I grabbed my trolley. Was I really supposed to run at the wall?
"-packed with muggles, of course-" I heard from behind me. I turned my head to see a plump, red-haired woman with five children, all having the same red hair. Muggles was the wizarding word for non-magic, right?
"Excuse me, ma'am?" I called. The woman turned to me.
"Is there something you need dear?" she asked politely.
"Do your children go to Hogwarts too?" I asked. It was probably best not to mention witches in case she was just a muggle.
"First year dear?" the woman asked. "Need help getting on the platform?" I nodded my head eagerly. She was a witch. "No trouble. Ron here's a first year too." The shortest boy raised his hand. "You just have to run straight at the barrier."
"That's what Professor Snape said," I replied. "I was just a little nervous. My name is Nina, by the way."
"No trouble at all," the woman smiled. "I'm Mrs. Weasley. Here, why don't you watch Percy go first." The tallest boy smiled at me and gripped his trolley handles hard. He raced towards the barrier. One second he was there, and the next he was gone. "Go on," Mrs. Weasley encouraged, still smiling sweetly at me. I took hold of my trolley's handles and rushed through the barrier. I stepped through onto a steamy platform with a sign saying 9 3/4. I made it.
I checked my watch, and it said 10:45. I decided I should start finding a compartment. I dragged my trunk, guitar, and Skittles' cage onto the train and flopped into the first empty compartment I saw.
I still had another 15 minutes to kill until the train started moving, and then who knows how long it would take to get to school. I put the photo album Di and Morgan gave me on my lap, and let Skittles out of her cage to sit on my shoulder. I started to flip through.
This picture here, is when Di, Morgan, and I went to McHale's Burger House. They've got really good burgers. This one is me and Morgan after a baseball game passed out on the couch in the living room.
You look so adorable there.
Skittles! I was blushing.
You do! You look so little and cute.
One more word about this and you're going in your cage.
But you're not denying it.
Skittles...
Right, sorry Nina.
My mental conversation with my familiar was interrupted by a soft, timid, "Do you mind if I sit here?" I looked up to see a scrawny black-haired buy with emerald eyes, broken glasses, and a scar on his head. Why did that sound familiar?
"Not at all," I smiled warmly. "I'm Nina Jackson." I stood up and helped the boy put his trunk overhead.
"I'm Harry, Harry Potter." We kept trying to get the trunk up there.
"Not to seem rude or anything, but aren't you the boy who defeated Lord Voldemort?"
"Yeah, but I don't remember it," Harry said, rubbing the scar on his forehead. I instantly felt guilty for bringing it up. "I don't think we can do this by ourselves. How did you get yours up?" I helped Harry set the trunk down gently.
"The professor who took me to Diagon Alley put a feather light charm on my trunk." Harry nodded his head.
"Want a hand you two?" asked one of the red haired boys from earlier. He was poking his head into our compartment.
"Yes, please," Harry panted. I nodded in agreement.
"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"
With the two boys help the trunk was put up with mine.
"Thanks," Harry and I said in unison. Harry pushed the sweaty hair out of his eyes.
"What's that?" said the twin on the left, pointing at a scar on harry's forehead.
"Blimey," said the one on the right. "Are you-"
"He is," said the left one. "Aren't you?" he added.
"What?" asked Harry.
"Harry Potter," the twins sang together.
"Oh him, I mean, yes, I am." I giggled at Harry's words. This got the twins attention.
"You're that firstie from earlier, aren't you?" asked the right twin.
I nodded my head. "Antonina Jackson at your service, but most people call me Nina."
"Fred? George? Are you there?"
"Coming, Mum."
With a wave at us, the twins hopped off the train. "I guess there names are Fred and George Weasley," I said to Harry.
"How did you know their last name?" Harry asked me.
"I met them earlier with their mom who introduced herself as Mrs. Weasley." Harry nodded his head and we sat there in silence. Every now and then I would here glimpses of conversation from outside. I did my best to not eavesdrop on the conversation.
The compartment door slid open once more and the Weasley brother who was supposedly in Harry's and my year popped his head in. "Anyone sitting there?" he asked pointing to the seat across from me and next to Harry. "Everywhere else is full." Harry and I shook our heads and the boy plopped into the seat.
"Hey, Ron." Fred and George were back. "We're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."
"Right," Ron mumbled. His ears turned a light pink, and his face paled.
"Nina, Harry," said the other twin, "Did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is our brother, Ron. See you later, then." Ron, Harry, and I waved our goodbyes and the twins walked away, sliding the door shut.
"Are you really Harry Potter?" said Ron, blurting it out. Harry nodded. "Oh-well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," Ron said. "And have you really got-you know..." Here is where I tuned out and started looking at the photo album. I miss my best friends already. I really miss Mom and Percy too.
"Hey Nina, you want something?" I heard Harry ask.
"I looked up from where I must have fallen asleep. "Hmm... You know, I will try some of those bean things." Ron tossed me a pack.
"Be careful with those, when they say every flavor, they mean every flavor. George reckons he got booger-flavored once." I made a face but decided to try one anyway. Mmmmm... Peanut butter fudge, my favorite.
After I swallowed, I grinned, "Peanut butter fudge." Ron tried one.
"Bleaaargh-see? Sprouts." I giggled and tried another one, trying to figure out which flavor it was. I got banana, burnt waffle, pineapple, mushroom, lettuce, blue cheese, salt, and chile pepper. A knock on the door interrupted me from my game. I looked up to see a sad looking boy.
"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad."
When we shook our heads he groaned. "I've lost him, he keeps getting away."
"Maybe he'll turn up," I said optimistically. He smiled slightly.
"Thanks, well I better keep searching. If you see him..." When he left I returned to my little game which I let Skittles join in when she sniffed out a rat flavored one for me.
I saw Ron raise his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy had returned with a bushy haired girl. "Has anyone seen a toad, Neville's lost his." The girl had an arrogant, snooty tone, but I tried not to judge off of it. Mom always said never judge a person until you know them like you know yourself.
Can I eat the rodent on her head? Skittles asked. She had settled back on her cage. I looked up at the girl's hair. It was a little on the bushy side.
No, Skittles, that's her hair, not a rodent. No matter how bushy it is.
"I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you." Was this girl always this bossy?
"Nina Jackson."
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ronald muttered.
"Harry Potter," Harry said.
"Are you really?" I did not want to stay for her rant. I figured we would be getting to the school soon, so I went to the bathroom to go change. I grabbed my robes from my trunk and ran to the lavatory. I stripped myself of my Breakfast Club T-shirt and my skinny jeans. Once I changed, I slipped back on my purple converse and headed back to the compartment where Harry and Ron had already changed. Thankfully, Hermione was gone. I spent the remainder of the ride with my head against the window.
Okay, so I changed very small parts in this, like the conversation with the Weasleys before Nina got on the train. I did not change much of the annoyance Nina had with Hermione, however. Here's why:
1. Harry and Ron were annoyed with Hermione too.
2. Nina is also above average intellectual wise. I will change it so it is not ridiculously slow, but she will still be smart. Smart people are COMPETETIVE with each other. Competition breeds contempt. Therefore, they will not be all buddy-buddy.
Thank you all for all the reviews you have given me. They are amazing.