It's Not Hogwarts Without You

The Hogwarts Express

It was the first of September, and you just arrived at Kingscross station. Your heart was beating out of your chest, and you felt as if you were about to throw up. As you stepped out of the car, your knees buckled under your weight making you trip.

"Y/n, are you alright?" your mother asks.

"I'm fine mum." you mumbled back.

The truth is, you weren't fine at all. You were scared; this would be your first year at Hogwarts and you didn't know anyone in your year. You never really had any friends — some may even say that you were a loner. But you aren't. You're shy and soft spoken — two things that made it incredibly hard for you to socialize.

As you walk through the train station pushing your trolley full of school supplies, your parents argue about how crowded it is. Even though you're not so thrilled to be leaving home, you definitely won't be missing their endless bickering.

There are lots of people around — muggles, as well as witches and wizards making their way to the Hogwarts express. You can't help but wonder how it's possible for the muggles to be so oblivious to the existence of the wizarding world. You're a pure blood. Magic has been in your family since the beginning of time, but your mother has always made sure that you don't use that as leverage over others.

"Being a pure-blood does not make you better than everyone else y/n. There are plenty of outstanding witches and wizards who are half-blood or muggle born. Remember that!"

That's what your mother always told you. And she was right.

Your older brothers Aaron and Ivan reach the gate to the platform first. Aaron is in his last year, and Ivan is in his fifth, so they are both very experienced with this whole process. Both already wearing their bright red Gryffindor robes, they charged towards the wall that separated platforms 9 and 10 without hesitation. In an instant they had vanished; almost as if they had never been there at all.

"Your turn Kiddo" your dad smiled at you.

You take a deep breath and wipe the sweat from your forehead with the sleeve of your yellow cardigan. Before you know it, your feet have taken off in a run. Your heart beating faster and faster the closer you get to the wall. You close your eyes just as you are about to crash into the wall, waiting for something magical to happen. By the time you open your eyes, the wall that had stood before you transformed into a whole new platform — hidden from the outside world. Hundreds of students swarmed the platform, some wearing their Hogwarts uniforms and others in their regular clothing. And to the left of the platform stood the Hogwarts express: big and magnificent.

You stand in awe of the sight — not wanting to forget any detail of your first time on the platform. You're ushered down the platform towards the end of the train where everyone is loading their trunks. You say goodbye to your tawny owl Remi, and you make your way back to the middle of the platform. The clock chimes 10:55 as you locate your parents who are  saying their goodbyes to your brothers.

"Y/n! There you are!" your mom beams. You walk over to her and she pulls you into a tight hug.

"Mom, your squashing me"

"I know, but I'm going to miss my little girl so much."

As your mom pulls away, you notice her glossy eyes.

"Don't forget to write y/n"

"I won't mom, I promise."

Your mom flashes you a small smile which indicates that it's time for you to go. You give your dad a hug, then you turn to face the Hogwarts express. Most of the children are on the train by now, the ones that remain on the platform are saying their final goodbyes to their families. Just as you're about to step onto the train, you find yourself frozen. The butterflies in the pit of your stomach begin to flutter.

"Y/n...are you okay?" your mom calls from behind you.

You turn around and meet her gaze.

"What if I don't get into Gryffindor like Aaron and Ivan...and everyone else in our family? What if -"

Your mom smiles at you.

"If you don't get put into Gryffindor, then that's okay too. You will end up wherever you belong. It'll be fine, now go on before the train leaves."

You smile back at her, you're still nervous but her words give you the courage to board the train.

•••

You find an empty compartment near the back of the train: you'll be able to read your book in peace here. You sit near the window and admire the view of the endless rows of trees beneath you. The sound of the compartment door sliding open startles you out of your serenity.

"Sorry. Do you mind? Everywhere else is full" says the girl in the black T-shirt.

"No...I mean yea... I don't mind, is what I mean" you reply as you try to hide your embarrassment.

The girl laughs as she takes her seat at the window directly across from you. Her brown curly hair is in a half-up-half-down style, and her eyes are a hazelnut brown colour.

She turns away from the window and meets your gaze.  You must've been staring. You quickly look towards the floor.

"First year?"

"Uh, yeah"

"Me too" she smiles, "my name is Leta. Leta Lestrange."

She holds out her hand.

"Y/n"

You shake her hand. It's  soft — like what you'd expect a cloud to feel like. Your eyes meet, and you smile at her. Is this what having a friend feels like? You guys have been holding hands for a little longer than normal so you let go of her hand and let out a nervous chuckle.

"So uh you said your name was Lestrange right?"

She rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, I usually don't lead with that. It's got a bad reputation."

Leta looks out the window. You glance up at her trying to find the words to reply.

She continues, "I don't have many friends... Okay, I don't have any friends," she meets your gaze. "But I enjoy your company, so maybe you could be my first?" she smiles nervously.

You're at a loss for words. No one has ever "enjoyed your company" before. You're excited, but scared of ruining everything at the same time.

"I'd like that" you finally say, to which she responds with a smile even wider than the one from before.

As you sit smiling at each other, you can't help but think about how calm she makes you feel.

Maybe first year won't be as bad as you thought it would be after all.