September 1st, 1994.
Our father casually walked through King's cross with the two of us in tow. He was dressed in a long black expensive-looking coat carrying a sleek walking stick with his favorite shiny pipe in his mouth, the smoke ever so often coming out of his nose in intricate patterns.
Wilfred Nott was a proud man. He walked with a sense of propriety and when he spoke it was clear that he was a figure of dignified authority. His once jet-black hair was silver and the lines on his face spoke both of aged wisdom and experience. His son shared his steel-blue eyes that seemed to easily read through pretense and falsehood.
I didn't know much about my father's life before he had us, most of the stories he told us were either of his school years or our mother. His carefully tailored, albeit very traditional, robes and suits spoke of a legacy he sought to pass down to us, he was a traditionalist and cared little for the world outside ours. He didn't teach us to hate and torture muggles but rather show our superiority by ignoring their existence whenever possible, they were utterly insignificant in his eyes. I also knew he held an office as a legislator, but little about what he actually did. I was far less interested in the world of law and finances than my brother, or rather not interested at all.
As Theo and I were walking by his side, all three of us were chatting in hushed tones. The pedestrians stared curiously at us as we neared the wall between platforms nine and ten. I felt a flutter of excitement with a pang of nostalgia hit me like a cold wave.
''Do write more often this year. I'm only getting older, you know.'', Father said, eyeing us.
''Oh father, don't be so melodramatic.'', I told him playfully, looping my arm through one of his.
We continued bickering and in no time were standing before the brick wall that separated the two platforms.
''Hurry, before some train attracts a crowd.'', Father warned us, casting a wary glance at the muggles nearby. I nodded, and with my cart, walked through the wall.
The platform was alive with parents and children, all hurrying toward the crimson engine. The Hogwarts Express appeared as impressive as ever, enveloped in dense clouds of steam. Its gleaming surface reflected the gentle glow of the station lights, and the steam drifting from its chimney carried an air of enchantment.
''I'm going to find my friends.'', I told them, hugging Father before heading toward the train. Looking back, I noticed Father had already encountered someone he knew and was engrossed in conversation. Theo stood beside them, appearing uneasy as he scanned the area, likely hoping to spot familiar faces of his classmates in the crowd.
I was hurrying along the platform when a loud banging sound coming from one of the train windows startled me. It was Graham and Amelia, loudly banging on the thick glass. They were telling me with muffled yells to board the train. An unfamiliar boy helped me lift my trunk onto the train, and I hurried along to find the compartment.
"It hasn't been a week, and I already missed you two," Amelia cried, hugging me once I was inside. We sat down, and I joined the conversation.
"Father was acting so strangely this morning as if he's never going to see the two of us ever again," I told them, and to my surprise, their parents were acting no differently.
"I think they just realized we're almost done with school. I swear, my mother was looking for grey hairs all summer," Amelia giggled.
The train slowly gained speed, and we began to get comfortable in the compartment. The heavy rain on the windows made it hard to see outside. It saddened me a little since I was hoping to enjoy the views. My friends were reading their papers while I dozed off with my head resting against the train window.
"Have you heard about Malfoy? His father almost sent him to Durmstrang this year. He was screaming about it by the train," Graham said, taking his eyes off the sports section of the Daily Prophet.
"He's just trying to sound tough and all," Amelia rolled her eyes and returned to reading her magazine.
"Oh, let him be. He's always been a brat," I said, eyeing the corridor in hopes of seeing the trolley.
"You're defending him? If he wasn't a moron whose father got him on the team, I'm pretty sure Maggie would be sitting here with us now, you know," Graham huffed and turned a page angrily. He had been in love with Maggie Davies since our first year, or at least in love with her flying skills.
"I mean, why should we even discuss him? If he starts acting up, I'm sure you'll find some way to shut him up. The year hasn't even started yet," I answered, feeling a pang of disappointment as the trolley lady remained out of sight. Malfoy was one of my brother's classmates, and while they were friends, it was mainly out of obligation. If it weren't for school and awkward dinners, I doubted Theo would make an effort to spend time with most of the boys from his class.
"Yeah, but my dad heard there wouldn't be any Quidditch this year. There will be no chance of me knocking him off that broom of his," he replied sadly, and I wasn't sure whether he was more disappointed about Quidditch or about not pushing Malfoy off a broom in retaliation.
"What? Why?" Amelia threw her Witch Weekly opposite her, barely missing Graham. This conversation was more interesting than 'Ways to Naturally Grow Back Burned Eyebrows'.
"Some competition, he said we'd find out soon enough," he placed his paper next to him, turning to the window.
"Oh, like the one Rose went to last year?"
The previous year, I had represented Hogwarts in a small Potions competition organized by the American school Illvermony. I had competed against two dozen students from around the world but was in the end beaten for first place by a girl from Koldovstoretz.
"I swear, if I had only gotten that Russian chick, Snape would've actually high-fived me," I complained, and Graham assured me I'd get her next time, comforting me in a way you would comfort a child.
"Maybe there will be some new cute boys around then," Amelia winked at me, and Graham threw the magazine back at her.
We laughed and talked more about the upcoming year. Our sixth year, it turned out that Graham had a whole speech prepared. According to him, we were obligated to have all the fun we could muster. Since we were going to have to take the N.E.W.T. exams next year, it was time to use all the free time we had left.
As the train hurtled through the dusky evening, raindrops created a watery tapestry against the window, distorting the landscape beyond. The countryside, usually a panorama of vibrant greens and rolling hills, now bore a different kind of beauty under the gray veil of rain.
The rain grew heavier as the train moved further north into Scotland. The sky was dark, and the windows became so foggy that the lanterns had to be lit even before the imaginary sun had completely set. The trolley came rolling down the corridor, and I bought a variety of sweets to share. Once it became fully dark outside and visibility was limited to our reflections, I could see myself clearly in the glass. My face was surrounded by light brown hair, and my dark eyes were marked by raindrops on the glass. Angelina Johnson called me vain once, adding that I was a pretty face with an empty head, but I doubt that an empty head could get an O on the Ancient Runes O.W.L. exam.
The train started slowing down, only to come to a complete stop at the pitch-black station in Hogsmeade. With rain pouring down from the inky night sky, the air was thick with the scent of wet earth. The poorly flickering lanterns that lined our path shimmered through the fog, casting puddles of light on the cobblestones beneath my feet.
We pushed our way through the swarm of students in front of the train, not bothering to conceal our contempt for the obstacles in our path. A group of Ravenclaw girls found themselves rudely shoved aside, their protests falling on deaf ears. Their attempts at insults were nothing more than background noise to our triumphant march.
Familiar faces appeared in front of the crowd. Adrian Pucey and my brother were boarding an empty carriage.
"Theo! Wait for us!" I waved at him, and he responded with a less-than-enthusiastic wave, Adrian however smiled radiantly. Defying the cold rain, we charged toward the waiting carriage, our cloaks fluttering behind us like heroic capes in a fantasy tale. Lucian Bole, another of our classmates, joined us as we ran. Although the carriage was cozier with just four occupants, the chilly atmosphere was hard to ignore. Who could have guessed that being pressed together like sardines would have its advantages?
"Thanks, mate," Graham said, shaking hands with the boys. The three of them played Quidditch together; Graham and Adrian were chasers, while Lucian played the beater position. I wondered how my brother ended up in this carriage full of boy stupidity and hormones.
"What a lousy evening, huh?" Adrian asked, glancing at Amelia.
Adrian Pucey had a natural charm compared to the other boys. Standing taller than average, he carried himself with a confidence that just attracted attention, especially from Amelia. His dark unruly hair framed his face, adding to his appeal. He had these brown eyes that held a mischievous spark, suggesting a playful nature beneath his composure.
On the other hand, Graham's charm came with his storytelling, the loss for Amelia and me was that he usually talked about Quidditch. He had a talent for sharing daring and adventurous anecdotes, using vivid language, but we usually just had to nod and pretend that we understood the sports references. He was skilled at clever comebacks, which were often directed at the Weasley twins or any other nearby Gryffindor.
"Indeed quite charming. Missing just a bit of..." Her words were abruptly interrupted by a loud lightning bolt that struck the woods behind the village. "I suppose I spoke too soon."
As the carriages continued along the muddy path, the boys were anything but quiet. Their voices echoed with excitement, and I was fully expecting Theo to keep to the sidelines. When he joined in on their ruckus I couldn't help but feel a little proud.
After reaching the castle, the six of us hurried up the flights of stairs that led to the doors. We paused once we stepped into the warmly lit entrance hall.
In the excitement, we attempted to run into the Great Hall, however, we quickly discovered that the stone floors were very slippery. Amelia tried to avoid falling and inadvertently grabbed onto Bole, nearly strangling him. But their efforts were in vain as they both ended up falling face-first onto the cold stone floor. I laughed hysterically, but that caused me to lose my balance too, and I stumbled backward, accidentally bumping into someone.
"Merlin," I managed to say between fits of laughter, "Sorry, Cedric."
Our gazes connected, and we exchanged smiles.
"That was quite a show," he remarked, still holding an arm around me as we wiggled our way across the puddles and straightened our robes.
Returning his smile, I soon found myself being pulled towards the Great Hall by Graham.
'"Enough with the flirting, I'm hungry," he frowned, guiding me towards the Slytherin table.
"Good evening, Baron," I greeted our house's ghost, yet Graham interrupted, ''What, is it too stormy for some good-natured brooding in the Astronomy tower?''
The ghost looked him up and down him before proceeding to float right through him, prompting audible groans and shivers from the boy.
"Just kidding! It was a joke! Honestly, one storm and suddenly everyone's lost their sense of humor," he protested as we settled down, our friends sitting across from us almost in tears from laughter.
It seemed like a good beginning, and even though the weather wasn't what I thought, the evening was full of laughter and excitement because of the tournament the Headmaster announced. We also discussed the odd and frightening one-eyed professor who was going to be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Amelia didn't seem to like him for some reason.
I couldn't think of it any other way, so after the feast, as we continued to catch up with everyone in the common room, I experienced that special warmth you could only feel when you were with friends, sitting comfortably and without a worry in the world.
I fell asleep easily, ready for a new tomorrow.