Willow

P.3

As the friends sit there there is a sudden knock on the door of their compartment, looking over they see a a tearful boy "Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all?" he asks. "I'm sorry, we haven't." Willow tells him. "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!" the boy wails. "He'll turn up." Harry assures him. "Yes. Well, if you see him..." the boy trails off, walking away. "Don't know why he's so bothered. If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could." Ron remarks. "Yet you brought Scabbers, Ronald, therefore you can't talk. He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference." Willow counters, glaring distastefully at the animal in Ron's lap. "You've never liked him." Ron points out. "Because he's a fat, ugly, disgraceful rat." Willows retorts, disgust clear on her face. Draco gently rubs her arm, knowing why she doesn't like the rat, Blaisse and Theo automatically shifting closer to her. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..." Ron says, rummaging through his trunk. He soon pulls an old wand out, Willow recognising it as Charlie's old one "Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway." Ron says, raising his wand.

As he does, the toad less boy returns with a bushy haired girl who is already in her robes. "Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." she explains. "No we ha-" Willow starts. "We've already told him we haven't seen it." Ron cuts in, the girl doesn't listen as she looks at the wand in his hand. "Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." she says, sitting down. "Er, all right." Ron says, clearing his throat "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." he says, waving his wand but having nothing happen. "Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard. I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough. I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" the girl says really fast. "I'm Willow Mikaelson, this is Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott. But we all call him Theo. It's a pleasure to meet you Hermione. You sound like someone I will really get along with, maybe we can do our homework together in the library when we start. My Mum and Aunt are Nature witches so have taught me some if you'd like me to teach you some. My family also said if I get along well with anyone I can invite them and their family to our Christmas Ball, if that's something you'd be interested in." Willow smiles.

Hermione looks slightly taken back herself this time "I would love that Willow. I can't wait to hear about your family, I've read a bit about them in my books I have." she smiles. "I'm Ron Weasley." Ron mutters. "Harry Potter." Harry adds. "Are you really? I know all about you, of course. I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century." Hermione tells him. "Am I?" Harry asks, looking slightly dazed. "Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me. Do any of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad." Hermione tells them. "All houses have their pros and their cons. Merlin was a Slytherin and yet their seen as the evil house, my family know someone who was a Gryffindor but he is one of the most despicable people I have ever heard of. He's up there with my grandparents, and that's saying something." Willow tells Hermione. "I never thought of it that way." Hermione says, tilting her head. Willow shrugs "Growing up in my family you learn to look at things in a different way." she smiles.

"Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon. The girls bathrooms are just down the corridor on the right." Hermione tells them, standing up. "Thanks Mione." Willow smiles, waving goodbye to Hermione and Neville as they leave. "Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it. Stupid spell. George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud." Ron says. "Course he did. All spells are in Latin, traditional and natural." Willow shrugs. "What house are your brothers in?" Harry asks Ron. "Gryffindor, Mum and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin." Ron says. "Do I need to repeat myself?" Willow asks him, her eyes flashing to her vampire ones dangerously. Draco immediately runs his hand through Willow's hair, Blaise and Theo grabbing her hands as they try to calm and ground her "That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?" Harry asks. "Yeah." Ron responds, backing down from the conversation about houses.