Harry Potter and the Legend of the Twelve

Arrivals and Departures

The Hogwarts Express steamed along the countryside on its journey, having departed King's Cross an hour earlier. It was a journey it had made more times than most could possibly imagine. As was often the case, it held a majority of students returning to school, and a smaller number of students who would be going to Hogwarts for the first time.

In one compartment, three students, a second year, and two first years sat. The second year had messy black hair and hazel eyes. If he had needed glasses, he would have been the spitting image of his grandfather. James Potter was quite mischievous, but had a good heart, and was fiercely loyal to his friends.

The other boy, his younger brother, was the spitting image of his father without the glasses, including having his grandmother's piercing emerald eyes. He was just like his father in every way: quiet, shy, loyal, and he loved being on a broom more than anything, except of course for his family.

The girl had bushy brown hair and brown eyes like her mother, and also like her mother was a bookworm, with a thirst for knowledge. Rose Weasley had however, inherited her father's love of flying and Quidditch, much to her mother's dismay.

Albus Severus Potter stared out the window while his brother James and cousin Rose talked animatedly about Hogwarts on the bench opposite him. James tried to wind her up with stories of rampaging Thestrals, disappearing students, and the terrors of the Forbidden Forest, but Rose had her mother's gift of logic and reason, and she wasn't going to buy any of it. Besides, she had already read the latest edition of 'Hogwarts: A History' three times, so she knew much more about Hogwarts than James did.

Albus tried not to listen. He had heard these tales before, but couldn't admit to James just how scared he was of them. The only thing that scared him more than his brother's stories on this day was the fear that he could end up in Slytherin House. His father's words just before he boarded the train made him feel so much better, but he was still worried. Perhaps if that were all he had to worry about, it would not be so bad.

"Al," said James, getting Albus' attention, "I told Dad I'd stay with you for a bit. I'm going to go find Jason and Danny, all right?"

"Sure, James," replied Albus, turning again to stare out the window.

"I'll see you later, Rose," said James.

James got up and opened the door of the compartment. As he did, he nearly ran into a girl in the hallway. She was very pretty and had long blond hair and pale green eyes.

"Oh...hi, Lucy," said James with a smile.

"Hello, James," said Lucy with not even a hint of a smile. She had a look of mild disdain on her face, and headed away.

James closed the door behind him.

"What was that all about?" asked Albus. "Is the famous James Potter charm failing? Mum is sure he'll be married before he's fifteen."

"I think that must be Lucy Roux," said Rose with a laugh. "I heard James and his friends talking about her. She's third year if I remember correctly. She doesn't like James and his friends much. They get into too much trouble. She seems impervious to the 'James Potter charm'."

Even before he went to Hogwarts, the girls at primary school all wanted to hang around with James. Albus was sure James had been on a date his first week at Hogwarts. Albus was sure his own first date wouldn't be until he was thirty. He rarely talked to anyone at school, let alone girls. Albus turned back to stare out the window.

"What's wrong, Al?" asked Rose, in a concerned tone.

"Nothing," Albus lied.

Rose got up from the bench and moved across the compartment to sit next to Albus. "Come on, you know you can't lie to me. You're my best friend, I know when something's bothering you, and I always have," said Rose.