raison d'être

1.1

The summer after her 11th birthday, a young girl could be seen waiting by the window every morning. Her eyes shone bright with excitement and the sight caused pride to dwell in the hearts of her parents.

There was no doubt that an owl would come flying in that July, so it was only a matter of patience. At least, it was, until the day the owl did come soaring in through the open kitchen window.

Excited shouts could be heard from the kitchen aisle as the girl's father helped her untie the letter with a familiar deep red seal. The official handwriting of Minerva Mcgonagall could clearly be seen as she skimmed the letter, excitement growing at each word she read.

The moment August came, the family entered the bustling streets of Diagon Alley. Though they had been here many times before, this trip was arguably the most exciting. Young witches and wizards ran through the busy streets, each one excited for their upcoming year at Hogwarts.

The girl pointed out everything she could possibly need, even pointing to a a large barn owl in a nearby window. Her parents happily obliged to her wishes, having never been more grateful for their fortune until now.

Weeks passed until she was lugging her overpacked trunk into King's Cross Station. The sight of a young girl with h/c hair pulled into a ponytail, pushing a cart filled to the brim with luggage and an owl sitting precariously on top drew a lot of attention, but she didn't mind. She was bursting at the seams as she waited for her mother to give her the all clear to run through the wall that stood between platforms 9 and 10.

She gave each of her parents a tight hug before turning to face the shining train. Her face beamed with excitement and anticipation and suddenly, the weight of her wand became heavier. She smiled at the feeling of the carved wood, anxious to get aboard the train so that she could try out her first spell.

With another eager wave at her smiling parents, she bounded into the train, navigating her way through much taller and older students, all of whom gave her a nostalgic smile as they recalled their own first days. She soon found an empty compartment near the middle of the train, hoping silently that someone her age would stumble across her and give her the opportunity to make her first friend.

It seemed that her wish was heard because a few moments later, laughter filled the halls and soon reached her compartment door. Two identical red-heads peered into the compartment, offering the shorter girl friendly smiles.

"Hi! I'm Fred."

"And I'm George."

"My name is Y/N," the girl responded, smiling up at the two twins. "Y/N L/N."

"Oh, your dad works with our dad," the one named Fred said. She hoped that the two would stay as they were - one on the left and one on the right - so that she could learn to differentiate them. "Our dad's Arthur Weasley."

Her face brightened at the familiar name and she nodded. "Yes, they went to school together too. I think your dad was a couple years above mine though."

The twins nodded and took the seat across from her. Luckily for her, they stayed in the same position as they had when they first introduced herself, so she took the time to find a difference between them.

"You don't mind if we join you, right?" George asked, looking as if he was gauging her reaction. "We're first years as well."

"I don't mind!" she replied assuringly, giving him another smile. "I was hoping someone would find me. I want to make a few friends before getting to Hogwarts, you know?"

"I thought we were friends," Fred said playfully, earning a small laugh from Y/N. She noticed then that his face was slightly rounder than his brother's, though not by much. They both had somewhat defined features, but George's cheeks were a tad hollower. There was also a very faint scar on Fred's forehead.