View of Bella Black

Why did we always have to arrive at the last minute everywhere? I absolutely couldn't miss the train, otherwise, my first year at Hogwarts would be as good as over, because how else would I get there?

I hurried ahead with my luggage trolley, my mum following behind. Suddenly, there was a loud clatter and my luggage fell off the trolley.

This couldn't be happening! I had seriously run into the wrong barrier!

I looked around hastily, but all the Muggles didn't seem to have noticed me, at least I wasn't being stared at like a lunatic. Quickly, my mother helped me heave my luggage back onto the trolley and ran with me towards the correct barrier.

I blinked briefly, and when I opened my eyes again, we were already on Platform 9 ¾. It was an indescribably wonderful feeling to be here for the first time and to be going to Hogwarts.

Since we were so late, I didn't have much time left, so I let my mother give me a quick hug and then ran toward the train, which would leave in a minute.

Dragging my huge suitcase behind me, I set out to find a compartment that wasn't already full. This didn't seem to be easy, as I was one of the last ones who hadn't found a seat yet. After a while, I came across another first-year student who was also still looking for a seat. She had gray eyes, dark blonde curly hair, unusually pale skin, and was a bit taller than me.

Well, I was quite small and petite, though.

I had tied my blonde, medium-length, straight hair into a ponytail. With my sapphire blue eyes, I looked like my mum when she was about my age.

Cheerfully, I introduced myself to the girl:

"Hi! I'm Bella, and you?"

"Hey, I'm Ginn," I received in response.

We smiled at each other. I checked the next compartment. There seemed to be enough room for Ginn and me, as only three of the six seats in the compartment were occupied.

I pushed open the compartment door, smiled cheerfully at the occupants, and asked in my straightforward manner: "Are these seats still available?"

"Sure, have a seat!" came the response from a brown-haired girl. Relieved, Ginn and I entered the compartment, stowed our suitcases, and sat down next to each other beside a girl with dark brown braided hair.

"Hi, I'm Parvati!" she introduced herself to me, returning my smile that still danced on my lips.

Ginn and I introduced ourselves to the others and learned that the brown-haired girl was called Hermione Granger. The reddish-blonde girl sitting next to Hermione introduced herself as Ariana Clarks.

In no time, the ice was broken between us, and we chatted merrily about all sorts of things. Just as Parvati was telling us that she wanted to be in Gryffindor most of all, the compartment door opened again.

A black-haired girl with gray-green eyes stood before us. Without her saying anything, I knew exactly who she was and said in a cool tone, "This compartment is full."

"Ahh.. full?" was her response. She seemed to be considering how to reply to that.

Parvati intervened and eyed the girl suspiciously:

"You're a Lestrange, aren't you?"

"Yes, got a problem with that?!" the girl answered defiantly and now glared at us angrily. At that moment, she, Veatrix, looked damn similar to her mother.

Without another word, Veatrix turned around and left the compartment again.

"Who was that?" Hermione asked, confused.

Of course, she hadn't grown up in the magical world, so the name Lestrange meant nothing to her. Parvati and I exchanged a glance, then she just nodded to me, as a sign that I should explain.

This was definitely a long topic of conversation. The relationships between pureblood families were quite... complicated.

I was glad that Parvati didn't mention that I was thus related to the Lestranges and the Malfoys as well.

This part of the family had pledged themselves to the Dark Lord, and through Dad, I was related to them, but he had been disowned from the family back then because he wanted nothing to do with dark magic. How ironic that he was sitting with them in Azkaban.

But I didn't want to think about my father, let alone be questioned about him.

Therefore, I was quite happy that we were instead talking about Veatrix, the daughter of Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange.

We noticed someone stopping at our compartment door and fell silent in the middle of our conversation.