A Third Chapter! Wow. Then again, I have nearly nothing else to do. It is going to be the last one today, though.
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To be ignored… or slave away? Which would you choose? Both have their perks. To be ignored is not good for one's mental health. Slaving away means no time to do things you actually like.
Harry's owl now had a name. Hedwig made great company, assuming you were OK with dead mice.
And the books they'd gotten! If Zina were allowed to do magic outside of school, she would be trying a few of the spells out. (Not like she told anyone that. If she'd been asked, she'd have ignored the question and turned the page of her book.)
While Zina was stressing about whether she'd be able to read it all before school year started, Harry checked off the days on his calendar. Then they realized that they needed a ride to King's Cross station. They asked their uncle.
His reaction? Vernon thought they must be crazy. But he'd give them a ride. They were taking Dudley to the hospital anyways. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before the semester starts."
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Harry was all over the place excited. He woke up at 5 o'clock. Dressed in his everyday clothes, he checked everything at least twice. Zina also got up early- a shower was in order -and got ready. After checking her trunk was well packed, she fidgeted with her bracelet. When would 6:50 arrive?
By seven, they were packed into the car. At ten thirty, they were there.
Uncle Vernon acted strange, actually helping the "twins". They soon realized why. He was abandoning them at the station, with no idea of where Platform 9 ¾ could possibly be.
Obviously, someone had forgotten to tell them how to get to the Platform. After Harry had asked a guard about it (that failed, by the way) he contemplated getting out his wand and tapping around in between while Zina inspected her ticket again for instructions.
After a bit, Harry caught a few words from a passing wizarding family. But Zina lost sight of him in the crowd.
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Zina's POV (controlled)
"Harry? Harry!? Where are you?" I called out into the crowd. I looked around, only look-alikes spotted. Wait. Was he there, turning around that corner?
"Harry! There you are!" I exclaimed.
"Whose Harry?" the look-alike turned around to ask.
"Sorry, I thought you were someone else," I murmured, turning.
My eye caught on a bright color. A red-haired little girl and her mother walked into the column between platforms nine and ten. Is that how to get to the platform?
I checked the crowd again for my twin, seeing nothing. Here goes, I thought as I walked through the barrier.
The platform was packed with people. Annoyed owls shuffled overhead. Some of the older students were helping the younger with getting their trunks on the train.
Suddenly, I heard someone practically shout my twin's name. It was the red-headed girl from before! Her mother and boys who looked to be her older brothers milled around, also with flaming red hair.
"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom pleas may I oh…" the little girl trailed on.
"You've already seen him, Ginny, and people aren't something you ogle at, at the zoo," the mother scolded the newly dubbed Ginny. Turning to one of her boys, she asked, "Is he really Fred? Where is his sister then?"
"I don't know," one of the twins responded. I was rushing over fast as I could. The boy continued, "I asked him. Saw his scar. It's like lightning."
"Hey!" I shouted. "I heard you talking about my brother, can you tell me where he went?"
The twins pointed, and I ran off. Behind me, the conversation continued.
"Do you think they remember what You-Know-Who looks like?" a twin asked.
"I forbid you to ask them, Fred! No, don't you dare. As though either of them needs reminded of that today!"
"Alright, keep your hair on." I had just loaded my trunk into an empty compartment, right across from my brother's. The whistle blew.
Just barely, I caught a bit more of the flaming-haired-family's conversation.
"Don't worry Ginny, we'll send you lots of owls," a twin said.
"We'll send you a Hogwarts' toilet seat," the other twin replied.
"George!" the mother cried out.
The boys hurried onto the train. It pulled out from the station.
"We're going to Hogwarts!" I exclaimed under my breath.
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I started to get settled. A boy from the fire-head family was sharing a compartment with Harry. At least he was making friends. I caught his name, Ronald Weasley or simply Ron, but after that the conversation I didn't follow.
It was going to be a long ride, so I pulled out my wand. I'm a good book learner (most of the time), so I could practice a few simple spells. Or difficult ones. I decided to practice Transfiguration of all subjects. Matches to needles and back. I was pretty good, if I do say so myself. My 15th was used to sew a button to my trunk! After that, I decided to work on memorizing some facts and theory.
Noon came along and I was hungry. A chart near the door told me the candy cart's route. I was fine. The cart finally arrived around 12:30. My door was open, so I saw my brother take some of everything. Strange candy it was; chocolate frogs and licorice wands, a specific brand of jellybeans, pumpkin pasties, etc. I took a few things that seemed interesting, barring anything black licorice or mint. I don't like those.
The boys continued to talk as they stuffed their mouths, so I zoned out. A while later, a round faced boy came up to my compartment, asking if I had seen his toad.
"I'm sorry, I haven't. If I do, though, I'll come find you," I told him, then decided he needed a hug. Then I sent him off to continue his search.
Bored, I decided to listen to my brother's conversation. I can be quite the eavesdropper when I want to be.
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Third Person POV
Neville and Hermione came back to that part of the train. Zina noted the bushy haired girl's robes. Maybe it's time to get ready, she thought. Zina soon learned the above's names. Hermione also had started a train-study-session, as she had tried a few spells.
But then Hermione once again reminded Zina and her brother of their fame. Then she was off.
Zina slid her compartment door shut and began to change into her robes as Hermione had suggested. Ron rather loudly explained Quidditch, and Zina listened in. Great ride.
Zina heard the compartment door (of her brother's) open. Hurrying to button those last few buttons she slid her own door open, nearly silently. The pale boy stood just outside, with newly recruited bodyguards. Crouching behind that trio was the dark-haired boy.
"Is it true?" the vile blond asked. "They're all saying that Harry Potter is in this compartment. So it's you, isn't it?"
The dark-haired boy pulled out his wand.
"Yes," Harry's voice said from across the hall.
The dark-haired boy pulled that wand back almost as if he knew Zina was watching him, preparing for something dramatic.
"Oh, these are Crabbe and Goyle. My name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," pale boy stated in an all-important voice.
Zina blinked. Suddenly Draco cried out in pain.
"Asher! Why did you do that?!" Malfoy yelled. "That is my distant cousin. We took him in when his parents were arrested. Worst little "brother" ever," Draco said, looking over his shoulder. Asher was now standing up.
Ron coughed, as if trying to contain his laughter.
"Oh, so you think that's funny, do you? I suppose you're just to bored without the money to get away from your relatives." He turned to Harry. "You'll soon find that some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort." Asher rolled his eyes at his cousin's antics. Malfoy just continued on, "I can help you there." Asher was trying not to laugh. Everyone was ignoring Zina, if they had noticed her in the first place.
Zina carefully pulled out her own wand. Although she hadn't actually practiced any hexes, she was sure she could cause havoc just holding it.
"I think my brother and I can tell that for ourselves, Draco," Zina made herself known.
Draco jumped and whirled around. Asher's skin was suddenly a shade of pink. Crabbe and Goyle simply turned, blinking dumbly.
Draco scowled. "I think you should be more careful. Unless you and your brother are more polite, you'll go down like your parents. You hand around riffraff like Hagrid and the Weasleys, and it will rub off on you."
Draco just made plenty of enemies, and everyone was standing now. Zina could feel something witty to be said. However, it was not to be, as conflict arose between the boys.
"Say that again," Ron said darkly, face read as his hair.
Draco turned to face them. "Oh, so you're going to fight us, are you?"
"Unless you get out now," Harry said, voice taking on intimidating tones.
"But we don't feel like leaving, now, do we boys? We've eaten all of our treats, and you still have some." The trio of evil leaned towards the boys. Asher stepped back, still blushing.
One of the chubby bodyguards decided then was the time to grab for the boys' candy. Then…
"It bit me!" Scabbers (Ron's rat) was hanging onto Goyle's fingers, who was crying like a baby.
Once Goyle had swung the small beast off his fingers, the left, Asher included. A few moments later, Hermione arrived.
"What has been going on? She said as she came upon the mess, while Ron determined that Scabbers had fallen asleep, and was not knocked out.
"You've met Malfoy before?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, he didn't understand what was so funny," Zina said with a giggle. "I didn't pay much attention, though, because Asher was mimicking him."
Harry explained it to Ron in a way he would understand. Zina was a girl, after all.
"Ugh, those Malfoys. Everyone knows they still belong to the Dark Side. They're just also in a position to blackmail." Turning to Hermione, he asked, "Can we help you with something?"
"You'd better hurry and change into your robes, the conductor says we're nearly there." With that, and a few other blunt words -about the squabble- she left.
Soon after that, Hagrid was calling out for the first years. They silently followed him along a dark looking path.
Suddenly, they were at a huge lake. ON the other side stood the great Hogwarts castle. Boats sat close together, near the shore.
"No more'n four to a boat!" were Hagrid's instructions Finding herself alone, she clambered on.
Everyone kept the silence as the boats glided across the lake. They ducked at the cliffside, going under a curtain of ivy.
They had arrived at long last.
Yeah, I think that all of my writing right now is chaotic. Controlled is just slightly less chaotic.
If you want, you can try to suggest plot things. I have some plans for up through 5th year, but nothing about 3rd year.
Thank you for reading!