Petunia, typically, wasn't claustrophobic, but this train corridor might make her. There were too many doors and too many windows that all looked the same with too many people with unfamiliar faces all blending into one never ending, cluttered hall. Her body felt like it was pulsing or maybe more accurately shaking (she wasn't quite sure). Not knowing where to go or what to do or even who to talk to made the feeling all the worse, it was easy to fake steadiness when in the company of family than it was all alone.

A warm hand tapped Petunia on the shoulder, "Do you need help? I'm sure we could find a compartment for you."

There stood two older girls both in uniform, all the neat straight lines with green and silver striped ties spoke of wealth, making Petunia wonder how her uniform would match up. She had tried it on the night they got it and while she thought she had looked like the poshest person in all of Cokeworth, it could hold nothing to how these girls wore their were like some sort of heiress' or models from those magazines brought to life. The type of people Petunia wanted to be.

The girl who had placed her hand on Petunia's shoulder had a kind face and a wild mass of dark brown hair tied back into an intricate braid that laid over her shoulder. She cocked her head to one side, and Petunia realised that she'd been waiting for an answer.

She went to answer when the other girl, with neat red hair swept back, gave Petunia a critical once over and leaned towards the girl. She whispered violently in her ear and all Petunia could pick up was 'Andromeda, carriage, and mud'. A strange string of words, but with that tone she was definitely upset.

She didn't communicate any emotions with her face, but Petunia realised to witches and wizards she must look a mess. Maybe that was what this was about, it was silly to think that she could blend in looking like a Muggle. Or perhaps she didn't want her train ride to be interrupted by some firstie, which was understandable. Either way, the first thing she'd do when she was alone was change into her uniform.

The brunette girl's face burned red, "I realise that, but this is none of your business! I have a job to perform!"

The redhead screwed up her face, "That doesn't-"

"Lucinda, would you just go? I'll meet you after the prefect meeting."

Lucinda looked like she was about to argue more, but huffed in frustration instead. She walked down the hall and onto a different car. The girl, Andromeda she presumed, refocused back on Petunia, "I'm sorry, the offer still stands."

"Are you sure, I don't mean for you and your friend to-"

"Nonsense, she's just a bit irritable today. Come along now," Andromeda started down the hall effortlessly carrying her own trunk, splitting the sea of students as though she was Moses leading his disciples. Petunia scurried after her looking around at all the students talking and showing off their own magic tricks along the hall. Andromeda took a glance back at Petunia's anxious face and chuckled, "It gets much easier as time goes on, I remember first year being the most terrifying. Soon enough you'll be throwing hexes and winning duels like the best of them."

Petunia stopped, how mediaeval were these wizarding types, "People duel? Like with swords?"

"Oh Salazar no, we do it with wands only. Besides, first years shouldn't be worrying about duelling anyways, you'll barely be able to cause a nosebleed by the end of the year." Andromeda was peering in door windows when she saw one she found satisfactory, "This one appears to be empty, is that alright with you?"

"Yeah it is. Thank you," Petunia lugged her trunk in and Andromeda helped her lift it onto the overhead. Petunia sat next to the window, a book in her lap and her coin purse with the extra wizard money Dad had saved next to her.

"Well then since you're settled, I better be heading over to the prefect carriage now. I hope you have a pleasant ride." Andromeda twirled around closing the door and swept down the hall out of Petunia's eyesight.

Shortly after settling in the train took off from the station Petunia changed into her robes and made sure everything looked fine.

A barash of colours flew past the window as Petunia settled back in and engrossed herself in her book. Despite being a witch Petunia had never found comfort or intrigue in whimsical fairy tales or fantasy like her sister. Instead she appreciated realistic (or what she thought at the time realistic) books about girls her age going through life's greatest stresses; like bullying or picking the wrong outfit for a luncheon. The types of things a girl like Petunia was supposed to be likely to face. But now she wasn't quite sure how to remedy getting sick in front of the whole school during a play with spells and potions.

She had nearly thirty minutes of silence when the door slammed open with a large bang. On the other side was a wildly smiling Frank.

"Finally found you!" Frank threw himself like a rag doll onto the bench opposite of Petunia, "I was looking everywhere. I almost got stuck in some sort of demon summoning."

" What? " Who in the hell was summoning demons on a train? Frank seemed less concerned by this, waving her off instead.

"Merlin, I couldn't wait to get on the train. My house is so boring you wouldn't believe. Uncle Algie was off somewhere in China apprenticing to be a Herbologist and he kept Owling pictures of him hiking up mountains and all the cool plants he's been taking care of. And Auntie Enid sent some sweets and tea, they were all very lovely. But it made it all the worse when I couldn't leave the house."

Petunia tried to respond but Frank just steamed rolled over her, "And y'know the house isn't normally that bad, but I just couldn't wait. Felt like I was near exploding. Mum said that I was acting more like an overactive hippogriff fowl than normal, but what was I supposed to do? She wouldn't let me touch my wand til this morning, it was locked in my dad's study and I couldn't get anywhere near that. And Ms. Angie wanted me to keep my studies up, she made me read all the books at least twice and then tested me. Like what use is Hogwarts if she's just gonna teach me everything-"

"You love hearing the sound of your own voice, don't you?" Petunia cut in.

Instead of looking offended he just cracked an even brighter smile, "And you just love to act rude. Glad we got that established. So how've you been?"

"I'm not rude," Petunia huffed, "Well it was all fine. I got some gardening done and I also was able to get through the books, only once though. We took a couple trips because my dad wanted to spend some special time before I was shipped off. So it was all good… well aside from my little sister and her pet grease stain dragging me off to break in his mum's basement. They nearly got me and Lily in huge trouble, though luckily our parents never found out."

Frank had a mischievous grin on that made Petunia even more annoyed with him, "Oooh, didn't think you to be the rule breaking type. What did you find?"

"Just some dusty old books and some silly talking mirror, nothing that exciting." Petunia muttered, "You'd think a witch's basement would have a cursed tea set or something. Though there was those stupid gobstones."

"Ah shame, maybe when you come over to my place we can break into Dad's secret room." Frank said with a casualness, like it was some light Sunday activity to do before lunch, "It's behind a bookcase. That's bound to have weird cursed things inside if that's what you're into."

Petunia pursed her lips, and shook her head indignantly, "I'm not sure what you wizarding types idea of cursed is, but gobstones are about the most cursed thing I want to deal with."

Frank choked on a snort, "You think gobstones, bleeding gobstones are cursed? People from the Muggle world have to be tougher than a thing of marbles and a bored right?"

"For your information," Petunia stood up and crouched over him getting in his face, "My sister thought it'd be a fantastic idea if she chucked a handful of them marbles on the ground, which all exploded and the gas from them nearly blinded me! So I think I have a right to be upset about it." Finishing her little speech Petunia had thought that maybe Frank would say sorry for making fun of her. Or maybe just be quiet for a minute and self reflect. Or, she didn't know, just jump onto a new topic.

Instead he started cackling, like a witch. This, Petunia thought, was even more insulting than when he called her a wimp. Laughing at her getting hurt crossed the line and Petunia took the book she was reading and threw it at his stomach, "It's not funny that I got hurt, you absolute wretch!"

"No that's not it," Frank tried to calm his laughter, but to no avail. He tried to push his explanation out through his fits of giggles that grew in her response, "It's just- what did she think was going to happen, they were going to bounce?"

Petunia flopped back onto her seat, crossing her arms, "No, we were trying to distract her weirdo friend's dad. Lord knows why she thought throwing the marbles would be a good idea."

"Oh Gryffindor behaviour for sure."

"Didn't you want to get into Gryffindor?" Petunia asked, "Why are you insulting it with Lily's idiotic ideas?"

"Oh no, you got it wrong. Gryffindor is known for being impulsive. It's part of the appeal to me, quite frankly," Frank half shrugged the best he could, "Also you should go for Gryffindor with me, that way we'd both have a friend go in. That's very important."

That last comment bugged her, didn't he have wizarding friends and if not, why. Frank seemed like one of those boys that was very popular and quite annoying (which he was, but not so bad that Petunia felt like pushing him out of the train. And at least he was somewhat decent towards her unlike that Andrew Turner or any of those other conginatly stupid Cokeworth boys.)

"I'm sure I'm not your only friend," she tried testing, "Don't you lot have like a wizarding daycare or primary school."

"You're speaking Muggle gibberish again." Frank said.

"Seriously?" Petunia asked, to which Frank just nodded, "Well then what do you do for school?"

"Hogwarts, Petunia. You should know this by now."

"Before that you smart arse."

"I was mostly taught by Ms. Angie or Auntie Enid if she was up for it. Also for your first statement, no... I don't have any other friends." Frank was a bit more stiff when he said this, "So you better get in Gryffindor."

"Okay…" Petunia said, then realised she never got a clear answer when she asked him what Gryffindor was. It was important apparently, maybe like a club or something. "What is this Gryffindor anyways, you've never said."

Frank looked confused for a second then he asked, "No one told you?"

Petunia just gave him a look that said would I be asking if I knew, he rolled his eyes at her, "Okay fine, there are four houses: Gryffindor: the best, Ravenclaw: the swots, Hufflepuff: the wet blankets, and Slytherin: the evil gits." Frank's face twisted when he said the last house. Petunia wondered if there was some sort of rivalry, especially from the description.

"You sure you're not biassed there?" She meant it as a tease, but Frank took it too seriously in her opinion.

"Positive." Frank said surly, to which Petunia took her turn to roll her eyes.

"Okay new question, what's with the different colorued ties?"

"Oh, so they represent the houses. You'll pick all this up when we get to the castle."

Now she wondered where Andromeda was placed. Petunia thought that those types of people would be the ones to get her far, it'd probably be a good idea to get in with them. She had a green tie from what Petunia could recall, so she asked which house they were in.

"Did someone hurt you?"

What a strange question. Petunia shook her head, "No, she was quite nice."

"Oh, Slytherins tend to not be, um, the nicest towards Muggle-borns. She must not have realised you were one."

"Frank, I'm sure there is no way she could have thought I was from a wizard family while I was wearing my Muggle really were quite plain so I don't think she was mistaken. I just think you're biassed," Petunia said. Frank's face reddened from her statement so she quickly tried to explain herself, "I mean they can't all be bad right. I'm sure you just met a bad batch."

"I'm pretty sure they're all a 'bad batch'." Frank insisted, "None of them are too friendly when you get to see their true colours, I'd just steer clear. That's my plan anyways."

"Well... I mean wouldn't you still be my friend if I was in Slytherin?"

Frank got real serious and scooted next to her, "Petunia you don't know what you're playing with. Just- Gryffindor would be the better house. Or Ravenclaw, or even Hufflepuff. They'd all except you and it'd… it'd just be safer."

Petunia was about to respond when the door rattled followed by a witch asking if either of them had wanted anything off the trolley. Frank brightened, dragging Petunia out into the corridor pointing out all the best foods and sweets telling her they were going to have a sample so she'd get to try everything. At that moment Petunia decided to drop what she was going to say.

The train ride continued with a bit of chatter in between the pair of them eating. Petunia found that Bertie Bott's was about the worst idea imaginable, chocolate frogs, while delicious, were a menace (and Frank got way too excited when she got a Merlin card), and that pumpkin pasties were the best treat there because at least it didn't do anything strange.

"Y'know, you really aren't going to get far if you're afraid of chocolate frogs," Frank had said at one point. Petunia just scolded him and muttered that she wasn't afraid they were just weird.

Aside from light bickering the pair had a somewhat pleasant conversation, the best she's had with a boy ever. It carried them all the way to Hogwarts, making an eight hour train ride seem like a short afternoon car ride. A warning was called out for five minutes till they got to the train station causing Frank to leave to get his robes on.

The train stopped and Petunia met Frank out in the corridor both joining the thrall of people walking out. It was a chaotic jumbled mess and Petunia almost clung onto Frank's arm just so she wouldn't get swallowed up. Almost. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of playing the hero. The sea of students moved them in waves onto the station.

A thunderous voice calling for the first years caught Petunia's attention, over by a row of rickety boats was a familiar looking giant, perhaps the one Lily tried bugging at the bar. She wouldn't have thought him to be a teacher at some fancy boarding school, if anything he looked like a ruffian that would work some menial labour job. He could be the janitor or something, but that didn't endear him to Petunia any.

"Hey someone petrify you or something, c'mon," Frank pulled her along to the boats, the closer a look she got at the man the more he looked a ruff drunkard. She couldn't quite place it, but people like him always made Petunia feel uneasy, but she supposed there was no avoiding it. She twisted her face and gave Frank a questioning look that he hoped he understood.

"What," he turned to where she was indicating with her eyes, then he groaned, "Seriously? You too? Hagrid isn't all bad or even mostly. I don't know what you'd been told but Dad said he's a good chap."

Petunia's face heated up and she avoided his eyes, "Well, I mean, nothing really. I just saw him getting blasted in that Leaky Cauldron and I don't know he looks a fright doesn't he."

"I know that they say he might be part giant or something, but that doesn't mean a thing," The news that this Hagrid might be part giant just made the sick feeling worse. If giants were anything like they were in fairytales, then that didn't spell out good things. Frank just rolled his eyes at her panic, "Oh c'mon he hasn't done a thing to anyone. You would think someone with your blood wouldn't judge him."

"What's that supposed to mean? Someone with my blood?"

Frank looked uncomfortable and flustered with what he said. It was evident that he was debating between apologising and doubling down. The battle played across his face for a second before he muttered, "Nothing, just- just don't be quick to judge."

Petunia ripped herself away from Frank, she wasn't quite sure what he was exactly insinuating but it sounded like he was comparing her to some part-giant, and she was not happy about that. Stomping ahead to the boats, Petunia purposely got into one with three people in it already. Frank tried to get in only to be shoved out by one of the boys sitting next to Petunia.

"Nope, you heard the man, four to a boat." he said.

Frank in a very dramatic way sighed, "Petunia, really? I didn't mean it like that-"

"I don't care what that means or how you meant it. I don't want to talk right now." Petunia turned her back to Frank who started sputtering behind her. The part-giant Hagrid called for last minute boarding. She thought that Frank might say something or try again, but when she turned around Frank had already left.

But she didn't care. He had upset her and she had a right to punish him for it. Even if she did feel that creeping sense of dread crawl up her spine the longer she sat with the nameless faces amongst her.

Hagrid called for the boats to go forward, and all at once the boats gilded across the lake. Petunia focused on anything aside from her feelings of onwee, like the beautiful sparking lake below them. The water looked a neat black, clearly reflecting the sky as though it was a mirror.

Petunia's concentration was disturbed by a hand breaching the water moving back and forth. A girl with curly blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail who had her hand in the water swishing as she made some sort of clicking noise. Quirking her lips, Petunia shifted her attention away from the water to the curtain of ivy blocking any further view of the lake.

The boats brushed past the hanging ivy and behind it revealed a magnificent sight: an ancient castle stood tall with climbing towers and greying white blocks. A slew of lights adorned the outside, welcoming in all that came, and the windows were lit bright with a warm glow. It felt like the castle held the epitome of happiness and wonder, teeming full of secrets to be found. Petunia stared gobsmacked and by the chores of enchanted sighs and excited twittering all the other first years agreed.

The boats all pulled into some sort of underground docks, once they pause all the first years clambered out in mass excitement following the part-giant up to a door. The chattering intensified and a girl next to Petunia, it was the one from her boat, said in a distant, disinterested tone, "I'm a bit disappointed, I hoped the boat ride would be more thrilling."

Should she engage or not? Petunia pondered this question, but the decision was made for her, "I thought that the squid might show up. My mother had told me it lived in the lake, though maybe it couldn't hear my greeting through the water."

Raising her eyebrows, Petunia finally addressed her. "You think that squids live in lakes?"

The girl shook her head slowly, "No, not typically, just this one. I have heard he is quite friendly," she patted Petunia in what was supposed to be a reassuring way. Frowning was bad for the face (as Mum always said, it gave you wrinkles), but all Petunia could do in that moment was sneer and turn away. There was always that one nutty person Petunia supposed, she must have just been unlucky enough to be next to her.

Petunia moved slightly away from the girl when the grand double doors flew open revealing Ms. McGonagall on the other side in all her stern glory. If Petunia could count on anyone being sane, it would be Ms. McGonagall.

"Thank you Hagrid. I take it there was no issue." she said.

"No Professor McGonagall, got all o' em across safely enough." Hagrid answered in a deep accent, one that Petunia couldn't quite place. Ms. McGonagall (or should she call her Professor McGonagall?) turned her steady gaze upon the students.

"Now, if you will all follow me, we will be starting the sorting ceremony momentarily." Professor McGonagall swept around and stepped down the large hall, her fluttering cloak dancing behind her in a dazzling display. All the students stumbled after her, it being hard to follow and stare in wonderment at the school.

The hall was eye popping to say the least. Not modern by any stretch, but the dusted hallways held simmering colours and a variety of portraits all moving amongst themselves gossiping about. A few called out to the students wishing them a wonderful time at Hogwarts and others telling them to get into certain houses and make them proud.

Professor McGonagall made a sharp turn to a small chamber and paused, turning back to all the students. From beyond the wooden door a steady drum of voices floated in, which just made the beating of Petunia's heart worse. There really were a lot of people here, was she expected to do the ceremony in front of them? And how would this be accomplished? Petunia had assumed that it was some sort of exam, but surely they wouldn't make them do exams in front of the older students. It would be way too boring for them and way too distracting for her.

"Beyond this door will be the start of your seven years at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall spoke, her steady gaze looking over the students to ensure they were all listening, "Inside you'll be sorted into one of four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin. Each house has its own sacred history that you will all be expected to uphold once sorted.

"House points will be given for proper behaviour and detracted for foolish behaviour, and each year the house with the most points will be given the house cup. Additionally, if the rule broken is severe enough detentions will be given for a length determined by the crime. I hope that this will not be an issue for all of you."

The pause in her speech rang loudly in the crowded chamber, a buzz of anticipation could be felt all over. Most of the students waited expectantly, having known this all from birth they didn't much care for the formalities. Professor McGonagall gazed over all of them once more, "Everyone get in a single file line, we will be entering the Great Hall now," a quick clamber of students rushed into a messy line behind her. Her hands were placed firmly on both handles to the wooden door, and with a great push Petunia came face to face with the Great Hall.