The Unbreakable Vow

Chapter 19- Hogwarts

On January 8th, we buckled our trunks and ordered a carriage to the nearest station.

Our owls hooted in their cages and our trolleys squeaked on the floor.

"What a disgusting way to travel" Mother muttered under her breath, glaring at all the trains in the station.
"How else are we going to get there?" I retorted to myself.

Somehow, I agreed with her. I missed the Abraxans so much now that it ached to think of them. It was much more fashionable, however, being in London meant having to go by the English Ministry of magic's rules. Meaning no Abraxans.

"Platform 9 and ¾?" My aunt spat.
"Yes, Aunt that is what is on the ticket" Emmeline argued annoyedly.
"Well, where is it then?" Margot snapped.

It was getting closer to 11 am. I began chewing my nails so loud that my mother hit me on the arm and I stopped immediately.

"Nobody is around, this must be a joke," Juliette said.
"It has to be. We look like fools. I knew that William was no good" My aunt groaned.

Out of nowhere, a family with similar trolleys to us, with which sat owls, rats, and all sorts of clearly odd things, came towards us. It was a Mother with three girls, who looked my age, gossiping to each other.

"Excuse me!" my mother called.
"Yes?" the woman replied.
"Are you going to erm-" she whispered awkwardly.
"Hogwarts? Yes, do you need help?" the woman nearly shouted.
"Please" my mother cowered.

"All you do" She began explaining to us "is run at the wall in between platforms nine and ten."
My mother chuckled loudly.

"That was very funny, now tell us how you really get on."
The woman stared at her blankly and the girls giggled.
"That is how," She replied, forcing a grin.

"Well go on then Emmeline" My Mother ushered, turning pink around the neck.

Emmeline looked at us in fright, gulped then got ready to run. She raced at it and I had to close my eyes tight, in fear that I was going to hear a crash any moment. When I didn't I opened them and noticed she had vanished.

"Go on everyone, before we miss the train," My mother said hastily, peering at her watch than the train's clock.

Margot went and this time I watched as she disappeared. Then Juliette. Then my aunt.

"Your turn Maria, quickly now"

I gulped as I shut my eyes and ran at the wall. I heard Persie hiss in her cage.

It was over in a second, I opened my eyes and there I was on platforms 9 and 3/4.

A scarlet steam engine stood proudly in front of me. It billowed out smoke covering some of the parents and students. My aunt and sisters had already headed off so I waited for my mother. She came in a matter of moments and hurried me along. We found my sisters in an empty compartment.

"Well, goodbye then," my mother said, kissing us all.
"Try to behave yourselves," our aunt said, staring at Margot for a long time.
She made a groan and stared out of the window.
The train whistled loudly.

"Alright, we'll be fine, go now."
"Okay. Goodbye. Enjoy yourselves" Mother called as our Aunt began pushing her out of the carriage and off the train.
"Should we go to the window to wave?" I suggested.
Emmeline and Juilette joined me but Margot just stayed in her seat.
We waved merrily until the train jolted forward and began to chug away.

We waved until a stone wall came between us.

No one bothered us on the train.

I watched outside as our compartment rattled and jerked.

I allowed Persie to join us but she just curled up and went to sleep.

An old woman came by with a trolley shouting something but we didn't open the door for her.

Soon enough, the sunset and the golden scenery faded away, replaced by the unknown darkness.

I sent our owl, Hera, out of the train's cramped window. She clutched three letters scribbled with all my latest news to Theo, Giselle, and Valerie.

Suddenly, a girl flung open our compartment door and we all jumped.

"Hey, are you those new students, from Beauxbatons?" she asked.
"Um yeah. Where did you hear that?" Emmeline answered.
"Oh everyone's saying it on the train. I'm Josie by the way, Josie Wood, I'm a second-year Gryffindor."
"I'm Emmeline and these are my sisters: Margot; Juliette and Maria. Maria's in your year."
"Nice to meet you," Josie replied.
"Gryffindor?" Juliette asked.
"Did you have houses in Beauxbatons?" she spoke, sitting down beside me.
I nodded.
"Three. Papillionise; Ombrelune and Bellefeuille."
"Wow, those names are gorgeous. Our houses are Gryffindor for the brave, Hufflepuff for the kind, Ravenclaw for the smart, and Slytherin for the cunning. I bet you'll get sorted tonight at the feast."
"Is anyone else getting sorted?" I asked.
"I think you're the only one."

I felt my heart skip a beat.
"Well that'll be fun" I muttered under my breath.

We did not want to draw any attention to ourselves.

"I think you'll like Hogwarts. It's great. What were Beauxbatons like? I've always wanted to go."
"Amazing" I sighed "Filled with fields and greenery everywhere."
"Hogwarts is a massive, old castle. We even have ghosts!"
"Ghosts?!" Juliette and Margot asked in unison. Margot's tone was much more excited.
"Yes. There's a ghost for every house and then you have Peeves, the poltergeist. You have to watch out for him but don't worry you have me to show you around Maria and I'm sure you will all find friends in your common rooms that'll help."

Relief filled me. Pure, warm, and loving. I couldn't believe how friendly Josie was when we hadn't even known her for more than 5 seconds.

"Thank you," I said.
"It's no problem. When you asked my mother for help at the platform, I knew you needed the help."

Then it clicked. She was one of the girls standing there, I just hadn't fully taken her in. Still now, I was only just beginning to recognize her. Her short brown hair lay on her red shawl with a crest of a lion on the edge. She also wore a similar black dress to the ones we bought at Diagon Alley. However, hers were decorated with red ribbons. Her deep brown eyes bore into mine intriguingly.

"Who were the other girls with you?" I asked.
"Oh they are my friends, Florence is in Gryffindor with me but Kitty is in Ravenclaw. I'm sure you'll meet them soon. It's a shame you didn't arrive last year. We took boats up to the school and it's such a view. This year we just take horseless carriages."
"Why are they horseless?"
"No idea" She laughed.
She talked so much, I was sort of relieved when she stopped.

"You should put your dresses on. I'm guessing we'll be there soon. We are in the third carriage down, come meet us when the train stops and we'll show you where to go."She left the compartment and we all sighed. "She doesn't know any other rumors, that's a relief," Juilette said what we were all thinking. "But for how long" Emmeline sighed. "As long as possible," I replied. We shared a smile, one we hadn't had in a long while. A smile of hope. We got our dresses on and arrived at their compartment. When you hear names you don't normally associate them with faces. But when the girls' faces popped up at us I oddly knew who was who even before Josie introduced us. Florence and Kitty both had blonde hair... "like Giselle's" I thought. But Kitty's eyes were deep brown like Josie's whilst Florence's were blue with green sprinkled in them.

"Hi," I said.