AUTOPHOBIA - G. WEASLEY

First Year: The Hogwarts Express

✯ CHAPTER ONE ✯

❝I'm a little lost, who's You-Know-Who?❞

September 1st, 1991.

IN FRONT OF a full length reflecting mirror, there stood an eleven year old girl, brushing through her medium length hair thoroughly and double checking that she looked presentable, for today was the day that she would finally be starting at Hogwarts - something she had been looking forward to for years.

She had sat and listened to her Father telling stories and stories about his own time at the magic school, skipping out certain parts and refusing to name any of his friends, and as she listened to him she always felt a tinge of excitement run through her body, knowing one day she would be able to do all the same things.

And now that day had finally come.

However, Estella Black did have one thing to worry about, and it was something that had constantly been running through her mind towards the end of the summer holidays. Something that if people were to find out about, she didn't know how they would react.

Her blood relatives.

She knew for a fact that both of her parents were purebloods, and that one of their last names had been Black, but who they were, she had no idea.

But she didn't care that she didn't know them because as far as she cared, her Godfather was her biological Father. He acted like it, and therefore always would be.

What she did care about was people finding out, because despite not knowing much about the wizarding world, Estella knew that purebloods were extremely proud, and were quite prone to hating people who didn't share their blood type; so half-bloods and muggleborns.

She had expressed her concerns several times to her Father, but every single time that she mentioned it, his reply was, "if someone stops being friends with you just because you're a pureblood, then they were never truly friends with you in the first place."

And to be honest, he was probably right, but Estella was too stubborn to admit that and therefore kept bombarding him with questions and questions, no doubt driving him slowly demented.

"What if I'm sorted into Slythern?" had been one of the questions she'd been asking, and Remus' answer, just like his one about her being a pureblood, was the same every time.

"It doesn't matter what house you're sorted into. I'll still love you the same."

"What if I don't make any friends?" was another regular one, to which Remus just rolled his eyes and told her not to be ridiculous.

But she couldn't help it. She was just a very nervous person and always had been, and she couldn't help but sit and wonder what would happen if all of these questions came true, though she tried to push the thoughts away to the best of her abilities.

Because she was excited for Hogwarts, and she wasn't going to let a bunch of stupid overthinking put her off.

Throwing down her hairbrush and whispering 'you can do this' to herself in the mirror as a form of self care, Estella picked up the last few things that she needed to pack and made her way down the stairs, where her Father was waiting for her in the kitchen.

"Have you got everything?" he asked, knowing fine well that leaving Estella to pack her things on her own like she had requested probably hadn't been the smartest idea.

"Yes," said Estella, nodding. "I think I do, at least."

"Think isn't good enough, Stell. You need to be sure."