Best of Friends

Chapter One

I stared at my organized bedroom in shock. Sitting on my trunk, I waited for sunrise, thinking about the drastic turn my life had taken.

It had been a little over a month since I received the letter. A little over a month since I found the reason for the strange events connected to me, like how one of my bullies ended up in a tree.

I was a wizard.

Glancing at my watch, I opened my window to watch the sunrise. As soon as the sky was lit, I dragged my trunk downstairs, probably waking my brother and mum with the thump on every step.

Sure enough, I had just sat down on the couch when Mum came down carrying Mickey on her hip. At six, he was getting a bit big to be carried, but our mum didn't mind.

"Good morning, John. Just because you're nervous doesn't mean we need to be awake this early with you," Mum said, setting Mickey down next to me, and kissing my forehead.

Mickey promptly fell back asleep.

"Come get your banana and tea," she called from the kitchen a few minutes later.

~***~

We pulled into the parking lot of King's Cross Station at half past ten. I waved goodbye to my family, assuring Mum that I'd be fine on my own. Watching them drive away, I sucked in a shaky breath, and ran my fingers through my spiky brown hair. I would not be fine.

Mostly because my platform didn't exist.

Wheeling my trunk into the station, owl cage in hand, I wove my way through the crowd. As I reached Platform 9, I glimpsed a group of people, two adults and their three children, approaching. The only thing that held my attention was the owl cage on each of their carts. The two boys seemed to be arguing, and their mother intervened. The girl noticed me staring, looked up at her mother, and pointed in my direction.

Dashing over, she bounced on her toes, her ginger hair springing wildly. She couldn't have been more than nine years old.

"I'm Lily," she said. "I thought you might be lost. Are you a Muggleborn? Are you going to Hogwarts? What's your name?" I grinned at her enthusiasm.

"Yes, I'm going to Hogwarts. My name is John Smith, and I have absolutely no idea what a Muggleborn is," I replied. She giggled, leading me over to her family, where the older boy had disappeared. The other boy was my age, and looked about as nervous as I felt. His short black hair was identical to his father's.

Just as we reached them, the family started moving. Taking my hand as we picked up speed, Lily dragged me toward the brick wall separating the platforms. Just as I expected to break my nose, we stopped, and I opened my eyes.

The main station was gone. In front of me stood a scarlet train, steam pouring from the engine. Lily's family kept moving, seemingly looking for someone, but I just stood and took it all in. By the time I snapped out of my stupor, the family was gone. I sighed, and pulled my trunk up to the train, sliding through one of the doors and searching for an empty compartment.

I hefted the bulky box up into the storage area, barely getting seated when the train whistle blew, and kids started flooding into the corridors. Many of them hung out the windows to wave to family. Luckily, my compartment stayed empty.

That is, until a small blonde girl knocked and peered in about half an hour into the ride.

"Hi," she bubbled. "I'm Rose. Can I sit here?" I nodded, turning to face out the window. After a few minutes, I pulled out a book and began to read. It didn't take long before I was interrupted.