The Other Twin

The train

"Quick! We'll miss the train!" May raced along the platform, Summer alongside her. As they reached the barrier, she stopped, suddenly feeling very nervous. "Y-you first," she stuttered, embarrassed. Summer happily obliged, racing at the bricks and disappearing the other side. May watched, gritted her teeth, and ran after her, after making sure nobody was looking.

On the other side of the ticket barrier was a whole new world. Kids chased after their parents, yelling and wheeling huge trolleys loaded with trunks and owls. May nervously stroked Dash's feathers, and he turned his head, giving her a sharp nip on the finger. "It's like he's got something against me!" she complained angrily. And it was true. Ever since they had bought their twin owls (May thought it was a bit cheesy, but Summer had loved the idea), Dash and Comet, Dash had been biting and pecking her like nobody's business. 

"Maybe he'll be happier when we get to Hogwarts? I know Comet will absolutely love it."

"Maybe he will..." May was not entirely convinced. "I just don't think he likes me. Look at him now!" Dash had poked his beak through the cage and was ripping at as much as he could reach of her suitcase, seeming determined to destroy it. "There is something seriously wrong with that bird."

Summer looked as if she had only just noticed the time. "Why are we standing around talking about owls when there's a train to catch?"

May hadn't really looked in the direction of the actual train yet, and whaen she did, she gasped. The Hogwarts Express was a magnificent, gleaming red beast, the steam engine at the front pulling seven long, carefully painted carriages. She didn't even know where to get on. 'But', she thought, 'it might not be as good as it seems. I mean, we could be sitting on buckets inside.' But she knew this wasn't true. Her instincts, and everything she knew from Jessy, were telling her that this was a luxurious kind of vehicle, and they would be in complete comfort. 

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Summer called, snapping her out of her reverie. "The train won't wait all day!" May quickly raced after her to where a girl with bright, flaming hair was looking excited. 

"Are you going to be a first-year too? Do you want to come on the train with me?" It took a moment for May to realise that the girl was talking to Summer, not her. In fact, she hadn't even noticed May. 

"I'm sooo excited! Have you seen Harry Potter? He's right over there, look!" She pointed down the platform to where a boy with glasses was talking in a low, serious tone to a ginger boy, who was listening intently. 

Summer squealed, and darted over. May couldn't quite hear what she was saying, but she was talking in an excited monologue, and Harry Potter was looking rather annoyed. After about twenty seconds of listening to Summer's excited chatter, he bent down for a few seconds and then straightened. May saw him mouth something at the other boy which looked suspiciously like "Stupid first-years", as Summer came rushing back down the platform, clutching a piece of parchment. "I got it! His autograph!" she gushed excitedly, showing them the parchment. Or rather, the girl next to her. May was still being treated like she wasn't there at all.

"Cool!" she said suddenly, her first words since they met the girl. "Maybe I could get it too and-"

"What the -" The girl suddenly laughed out loud. "That is sooo awesome! There's two of you!"

Summer sighed heavily. "Yeah. I'm Summer, and this is May."

"Brilliant! I've never met any actual real twins before! I'm Rachel, by the way!"

 "Hi!" replied Summer, and May quickly followed. 

"Hey, look, guys! Looks like the train'll leave in five minutes! We'd better hop on quick!" Rachel cried. "If we're lucky, we might be able to get a seat near some really cool people I've heard of!" They trotted over and walked through one of the doors. Inside was a long passage, lined by doors. They chose a compartment and stepped inside.