Sasha Jackson & The Trials of the Pendragon

Chapter Four: A Train Ride To Hogwarts

When September had came, Sasha had woke up at six o'clock in the morning and was feeling very excited about school. Her parents had boosted her confidence once they had finally told her more about her missing older brother, Jacob Jackson. She got up and had gotten dressed in her blue blouse, dark blue pants, and dark brown boots. She checked her Hogwarts list a few weeks ago to make sure she had everything she needed, saw that Hamish is safely in his cage and ready to travel with her, and had gotten ready for the train ride with some help from her family. Two hours later, Sasha's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the car and had set off.
They reached King's Cross half past ten. Her dad placed Sasha's trunk onto the cart and they both wheeled it onto the station together. They followed a group of people with the similar supplies that Sasha has. Some of them were kids around her age or older.
Sasha and her family moved to follow them, and moved towards the barrier. Sasha closed her eyes, ready for an impact that didn't come. Sasha opened her eyes and saw a scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Sasha looked behind her and saw a wrought iron archway where the ticket box had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three Quarters on it. She had done it. Sasha smiled at her family, who returned the proud smiles. Her dad ruffled Sasha's hair affectionately and her mum had done a braid on her front left hair bang and tied her hair with a blue hair tier. Her aunt had used her magic to replace her blouse and pants with her black robes.
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to each other in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and scraping of heavy trunks. The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out the windows to talk to their families, some fighting over seats.
"You got everything?" fretted Mom.
"Yes Mom." Sasha looked up at her Mom with a small smile. She gave her owl to one of the handlers before she looked back to her parents.
Sasha jumped into her family's arms, catching them by surprise. They returned the hug. Sasha gave them one more squeeze before the five of them both stepped back from their hug. Sasha bowed her head as her Mom kissed her forehead. Sasha raised her right hand and Nicholas raised his left hand, they both intertwined their hands and gave their hands a light shake, a secret promise to look out for each other over vast distances. Aunt Maya smoothed Sasha's hair and kissed her cheek. Lastly, Dad had gently kissed Sasha's forehead and the two of them both met each other's eyes: blue met blue.
"I love you everyone," whispered Sasha.
"We love you too sweetheart." They hugged each other one more time before Sasha boarded the train with her things. "Make sure you write."
Sasha walked on nervously, taking in all she could, then paused. Looking around, she noticed that there weren't that many people around, so now would be the best time to find a compartment and put away her things. Once that was done, Sasha could wander all she wanted. The only problem was, she realized standing outside one of the passenger compartments, that Sasha didn't think she could lift her trunk onto the train by herself.
"Need some help there?" Sasha spun around to see a pair of red-haired boys, one is around her age and the other seemed to be a year older than her.
"Yes please." Sasha backed up and smiled as the two siblings helped place her luggage away and the two of them both looked at her with matching smiles.
"I'm Bill Weasley and this is my brother, Charlie." Bill was both tall and lean, with his red hair tied back into a gray bandanna. While Charlie was covered with more freckles than Bill, but his red hair was tied into a ponytail just as well. Bill was dressed in his Gryffindor robes and Charlie was wearing his black robes.
"What's your name?" asked Charlie curiously.
"I'm Sasha," she said, more calmly. "Sasha Jackson."
"Whoa." Charlie looked at Sasha more closer in amazement, Bill looked at Sasha with a sympathetic smile. "Are you truly?"
Sasha gave a small smile and nodded as she started backing away, feeling a little self-conscious as he looked at her. Bill noticed this and whacked Charlie on the arm, Charlie gave Bill an annoyed glare.
"Charlie, it's personal for her," Bill scolded Charlie, making him flushed with embarrassment and slight guilt.
"Sorry Sasha," apologized Charlie as he caught Sasha's eye.
"It's okay Charlie," Sasha said softly with a smile.
"So, which compartment do you want to stay in?" asked Bill curiously.
Sasha looked around and gave them a shy smile as she said, "Any compartment is fine." She hesitated. "I just have a few problems about being in crowds. That's all."
"We understand," said Bill with a gentle smile. "We'll see you later then."
"Bye boys." Sasha smiled as she watched as the boys entered the other compartment that sounded loud as the train. She sighed softly before she sat down on one of the seat and started watching as the scenery continued changing outside when the compartment door had opened again and Rowan had came into the compartment with her trunk. Sasha blinked in surprise and watched as Rowan placed her trunk away. "Umm... Rowan? (Rowan jumped and spun around to see Sasha). What are you doing here?"
"Just want to sit with you," said Rowan with a shrug. "It feeling a little stuffy in there."
Sasha patted the seat next to her and smiled up at Rowan, her new friend looked surprised, but Rowan smiled anyways and sat down next to Sasha.
"Are you excited about school, Sasha?" Rowan asked excitedly.
"I guess." Sasha shrugged and glanced at the window, outside the dusky amber sky had darkened into the dark blue and silvery flecks of the night sky. "I never been anywhere before. But my parents had told me everything about the Houses in Hogwarts, though I still think that the Slytherins are just a misunderstood lot with about traditional ways to boot."
"You're quite right. They had been looked down after You-Know-Who had shamed it," Rowan said with a sympathetic smile. "But anyways, I've been asking around, and I hope I can be in Gryffindor, it sounds pretty great; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad." Rowan looked at Sasha with a curious expression. "What about you Sasha? Which House do you hope to be in?"
"I'm not really sure," admitted Sasha softly. "My Dad was in Ravenclaw, my Mom was in Hufflepuff, and Jacob was in Ravenclaw."
"But who was that other woman and boy with you?" Rowan asked Sasha. "They seemed to be related to you."
"Oh, they are." Sasha cracked a smiled as she remembered her and Nicholas' past adventures (and misadventures) they had together as cousins. "But they're planning on moving to Egypt and my cousin is going to be attending the magic school there."
"That sounds exciting," said Rowan with smile. "What dream job do you want Sasha?"
"Well, I want to have two jobs," Sasha said with a small smirk at Rowan's startled expression. "I want my first part-time job will be an Auror to help me catch Dark Wizards and I want my second part-type job to be a Curse-Breaker to secure dark artifacts in Gringotts Bank."
"Wow," Rowan said with an impressed whistle. "You're going to be busy."
"I suppose I am," chuckled Sasha, smiling still. "But I'm more curious about your dream job. What's your dream job?"
"I want to be the youngest professor of Hogwarts ever," Rowan said excitedly, her brown eyes shining. "I wanted other people to love learning as much as I do. I've learned all our course books by heart for this year."
"You know, Rowan, you shouldn't put all your faith in books - they can be wrong... they sometimes are," advised Sasha.
"I know," Rowan said with a smile. "But I'm willing to show my efforts to the professors."
"Just make sure you don't overdo it amiga," said Sasha with a gentle smile.
"I promise not to overdo it," Rowan said with a playful grin.
"So, who's in your family?" asked Sasha curiously.
"There's my mother, Rhea, she's a wonderful at singing and dancing as well as making wands and brooms. She's very kind and clever," Rowan said with a wistful smile. "My father, Salil. He was a Quidditch player for India and now he works on giving the wood supply to the companies. Lastly, my little brother, Chotu. He's quite the frisky little troublemaker as well as he is a clever prankster."
"Which Houses were you parents in?" asked Sasha.
"My mother was in Ravenclaw and my father was in Gryffindor," Rowan said with a smile.
"They sound amazing Row," said Sasha. "Is it okay I call you Row?"
"Sure," Rowan said with a smile. "Can you call you Asha?"
"Fine by me," replied Sasha with a grin, but she soon gained a curious expression and glanced at the window to see the night sky and the looming mountains. "Are we almost there?"
"Yes, I think so," said Rowan.
They both straightened both their hair and clothes. Sasha peered out of the window and marveled the night sky. She could see the mountains and forests under the twilight sky. The train seemed to be slowing down.
A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Sasha's stomach lurched with excitement and nerves, Rowan looked at Sasha with an encouraging smile and it calmed Sasha's nerves. The train slowed right down and came to a complete stop. People pushed their way towards the door and out on a tiny, dark platform. Sasha felt herself shivering in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over their heads.
A giant man stood there and was holding a lantern over their heads. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but they could make out his eyes, glinting like joyful black stars under all the hair. He was wearing huge furry brown clothes and boots.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" said the giant man with a smile. "My name is Rubeus Hagrid, 'he gatekeeper. C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side there. Nobody spoke much. Sasha and Rowan both held hands and kept exchanging confused and nervous/excited looks. 
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder. "Jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Ooooh!"
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little canoes sitting in the water by the shore. Sasha and Rowan were followed into their boat by a bubblegum pink-haired girl named Nymphadora Tonks (though, she prefers to be called Tonks) and a red-haired girl named Tulip Karasu.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who's in a canoe himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"
The fleet of canoes moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, starting up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood. Sasha heard a loud splash and a bit of yelling from a messy, brown-haired girl from behind them, making a few of the first years laugh as the girl's helped her get back into the boat.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all lowered their heads and the canoes carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
Sasha felt Rowan slipped her hand into her own and gave a gentle squeeze. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here?" All of the students nodded. They watched as Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.