My heart skipped a beat as the photo came to life. There we were, Jacob and I, jumping up and down and grinning at Mom. She must have thought it was because we were excited. Mischievous, giggling, and making silly faces at each other. Little did she...
— Rachel Mennies, "April 18, 2017," The Naomi Letters
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The door to the compartment slammed shut as Rowan squeezed inside, juggling her suitcases, with her glasses comically slid askew on the side of her head. I swiftly jumped up to help with the luggage. Her other bags were certainly packed to the brim with books — nothing else could weigh as much as Rowan's belongings. She huffed and puffed along with me and almost got hit by the suitcase when it suddenly decided to leap on our heads.
"Can't believe how heavy these things can be. And this is only the first one!" she exclaimed.
My enthusiasm waned slightly as Rowan produced yet another, even larger suitcase. Books, no doubts.
"Well, I suppose I can try levitating it into place. We should learn that spell in our first year if the textbook isn't lying. And textbooks never lie!" Rowan sprang to her feet and retrieved a wand from her pocket. I couldn't help but wonder how this endeavor would unfold, my curiosity piqued as I braced myself for the worst.
"Wingardium—"
"And what's going on here?"
A shock of ginger hair peeked into our compartment. Rowan hesitated and bit her lip when their eyes met, hers and the unexpected visitor's. I knew it was Bill, the elder brother of Charlie, the dragon devotee. We took note of the red stripes adorning Bill's cloak and the proud Gryffindor emblem that matched his fiery hair.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
With a flick of his wand, Bill effortlessly lifted the trunk and sent it gliding onto the shelf. One by one, all the smaller bags that Rowan kept handing him found their place as well. She got so carried away that she didn't even notice when he tidied away all the suitcases and satchels, including mine.
Bill surveyed us both, offering a satisfied nod, before taking his leave. Not without a few reminders to refrain from using magic outside of Hogwarts, of course (though it seemed this rule didn't entirely apply to him). Rowan snapped out of her daze and began adjusting her new scarf and glasses.
"I hope," Khanna finally spoke up, her voice tinged with a blush, "that I'll be sorted into Gryffindor."
Rowan blushed even deeper and added, just to be sure, "Because Gryffindors are known for their bravery and helpfulness."
I scratched my chin thoughtfully. "Doesn't Hufflepuff help everyone too?"
"Yes, that's true" she admitted, "Just wanted to give a bit more praise to Gryffindor. I heard that seniors don't often help newbies, especially on the Hogwarts Express. Especially with luggage. Especially—"
"I'm telling you, that's the one! I'm pretty sure!"
The compartment door swung open once again, flooding the space with sunlight — or at least that was how it appeared to me.
It was a girl in a plain cloak, with no faculty emblem or any other distinguishing mark. Her hair was braided and glistened beautifully in the sun. She stepped in but immediately froze in confusion. Behind her, a dusky boy with sharp, birdlike features observed with interest.
"Wrong compartment!" she chuckled lightly, tilting her head apologetically. "Sorry, they all look the same to me."
Rowan shot me a quick glance, and I shrugged. The girl with braids cautiously retreated towards the corridor, where someone had already called out to her. "Where are you, Penny?"
She laughed again: the compartment they stopped at was at the other end of the train. The birdlike boy quickly guided Penny away, and we received her parting wide smile — a smile so infectious that it spread across our faces too.
Rowan breathed a sigh of relief once the packing and the visitors were done.
"Finally! I cannot wait to start studying, believe it or not. And you? What are you expecting from this year at Hogwarts?" Rowan asked, her gaze curious.
I pondered the question. What did I expect? Deep down, I yearned to be like my brother: to immerse myself in studies, brew potions, unlock doors with a flick of a wand, and soar through the air on a broomstick. I longed to explore the places he had been and encounter the people he had known.
But above all else — more than anything — I hoped to find him.
With a second thought, I dared to share this silly sentiment with Rowan. "My brother... didn't just leave Hogwarts — he ran away from home and disappeared. They say it's because of the Cursed Vaults. I need to find the Vaults," I confessed, my voice tinged with a mix of determination and desperation, "so that I can find Jacob."
Rowan's eyes widened in response. I could see her processing the magnitude of my goal, perhaps thinking it was too audacious or even crazy. But instead of discouragement, she seemed to grow more intrigued.
"Adventures, like the ones from books!" she exclaimed, her excitement almost palpable. "You need an ally, you know? Someone who'll have your back if something goes wrong. Trust me, something will definitely go wrong, just like in the books! So I offer myself as a candidate."
I blinked in disbelief. It wasn't often that you found someone as bold and daring as yourself right from the start. Rowan fixed her gaze on me, her expression calm and determined as if she was ready for anything that awaited us at Hogwarts. Even the Cursed Vaults.
"Sure? Because it's a deal then," I replied, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
Rowan beamed. "A-awesome! The first day and I'm already making a new friend and sporting a new scarf. Do you think the Sorting Hat will notice how smart it looks? I'm really aiming for Ravenclaw."
"That's odd," I allowed myself a laugh. "When Bill was there, you seemed to favor Gryffindor."
She widened her eyes again, and I couldn't help but wonder if they were naturally large or if it was just the effect of her glasses. "So his name is Bill, huh?"
Satisfied, Rowan made a mental note.
"I want to, ahem, befriend him too. It'd be on my wish list, right after becoming a Hogwarts professor. But for now," she assessed my attire with a critical eye, "let's get changed. Mom says they don't allow these at Hogwarts."
I let out an annoyed sigh. No one could explain why robes were deemed superior to sweaters and jeans.
