Raising Eleanor

9

CHAPTER 9 - BACK AGAIN

A new year for new changes. Since the last defence against the dark arts teacher was none other than the apprentice of You-Know-Who had shaken Hogwarts. Hopefully for this year, nothing will turn for the worse. Right?

Back again at the Hogwarts Express, everyone was filling in with their belongings and pets whilst Elaine sat on one of the empty compartments. She was reading a book, muggle book.

She finds it interesting as this sort of book was kept in her father's private library back at Spinner's End. But then again he has always been a very unexpected man.

As the conductor whistled for the last call, the train began to move. However of course the peace does not last very long as a red haired girl has entered the compartment she's in.

"Oh I'm sorry, everywhere else's full. Can I sit here?" asked the girl, she was still wearing her casual attire but her face does not seem familiar to Elaine at all.

"Of course! Come, come." she put down her book on her lap, while watching the girl enter the room. Red hair, oversized coat.. funny guess but could she be a weasley?

"Are you by any chance, a Weasley?" she asked rather bluntly, but she knew she had to get it out in the open right away.

"Is it because of the red hair?" the girl turned to ask, and Elaine shrunk a bit in her seat, wondering probably if that's a very wild and unnecessary guess. She could be offended and Elaine could get in trouble.

Or worse, making an enemy right here right now.

"To be honest, yes! I never see anyone with a red hair before except for the Weasleys, so i just assumed-"

"But your guess is correct! My name's Ginny Weasley. It's my first year at Hogwarts."

Elaine sighs in relief, but she also gaped in amazement that another one from the Weasleys had made it to Hogwarts.

"Ah I see. I'm Eleanor Snape, you can just call me Elaine for short." She extended her hand to the first year, another friendship made inside the train. She smiles gladly and shakes her hand. "I never knew Ron and the twins had a sister."

"There's 7 of us literally." She widened her eyes, she thought the eldest was Percy but then of course she remembers now that by Christmas, Ron mentioned about his parents visiting his older brother in Romania who was working with dragons. Honestly that statement itself sounds pretty amazing.

"All of my brothers attended Hogwarts before me. Bill and Charlie had graduated way ahead, it's just Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and then there's me." she nods, she remembers correctly that it is Charlie that works in Romania. She had never seen Bill Weasley before, never really hearing a mention of that name as well.

"So Ginny, are you excited for your first year?" putting her book aside to talk with the girl. Starting a conversation, "Oh very much! I always wanted to go there like my brothers did."

"That's so sweet!" Before she could continue her little talk session, the trolley lady slides the door to offer them sweets. "Anything from the trolley, dears?"

"No thank you, I'm good." Ginny replied as she put out her sandwich wrapped in plastic from her bag, but her smile was rather forced. It was like she wanted to, but couldn't.

Her eyes follow Ginny then back to the trolley, and slowly her lips pursued in a small smile as an idea pops onto her mind.

"Nonsense! Here, they're delicious. Trust me on this one." She bought some sherbert lemons, twizzlers, and chocolates then offered it to her. "Oh no I can't possibly.." but Elaine had already thrust the snacks to her grasp, "Don't worry, it's on me." With a grateful smile, Ginny eats one of the foods that Elaine brought her.