CRIMSON TEARS | Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone [1]

𝗶𝗶 | 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗴𝘄𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀

On the morning of September first, the Everill siblings huddled around the fire grate. Their parents weren't coming with them, of course - they never did - and it was up to Edward to make sure they all got to the platform on time.

  Lucille wasn't going to Hogwarts, but she wanted to see them off. It had taken an hour of convincing from Felix and Edward for her to agree to say goodbye to them at the fire grate. One of the houselves, Tolkey, had agreed to play some board games with her while she waited for her parents to return home.

  'Promise me you'll write!' she had cried as Edward climbed into the fire grate.

  'Every day, like always,' he said, then disappeared in a flourish of emerald flames.

  'You too, Gwen. I want to know all about your first year.'

  Gwen smiled, hugging her sister. 'Of course. Every day, Luce.'

  They took the floo to a shop opposite King's Cross. Gwen, still clumsy when it came to travelling by floo, was covered in soot which her brothers helped to dust off. They left the shop, crossing the road to the train station, pushing their trunks in front of them.

  'Oh, before I forget.'

  Edward turned to her, holding out a cage which contained his new barn owl. 'He's for you,' he said.

  Gwen took the cage. The owl tweeted at her, his large yellow eyes wide as though he recognised her. He tweeted again, and she smiled, thanking Edward profusely.

  'I thought he was yours,' she said, poking her finger through the tiny bars so he could nibble at it.

  'No,' Edward said, ushering her and Felix along. 'I wanted to surprise you.'

  'What will you name him?' Felix asked as they approached platforms nine and ten.

  'I'm not sure,' she said, smiling at the owl. 'How about Orion?'

  Her brothers moved so that Gwen was in front. She knew what she had to do, but that didn't make it any less nerve-wracking. With a nudge from Felix, she braced herself, then broke into a run toward the barrier. People jostled her as she ran, knocking her slightly off course, but, at the last moment, she veered back on course and went through the brick wall.

  Edward and Felix joined her moments laters, but Gwen couldn't distract herself from the bright, steaming train that stood beside her. She smiled, taking it all in. It was the first time she'd ever seen the train in person, and it was as magnificent as she'd imagined.

  'You coming, Gwennie?'

  Edward and Felix beckoned her down the platform. She followed, pushing her way through the wizards and witches, unable to stop the smile tugging at her lips. It hadn't yet dawned on her that she was really going to Hogwarts, and the excitement stirring in the pit of her stomach almost made her lose sight of her brothers.