The Empty Chamber (Harry Potter Next Generation Fanfiction)

Chapter Three: Lydia

Kayla disappeared into the brick wall.

"You're next," a short woman holding a caged owl turned to face Lydia. "Do you want me to go through with you?"

"No, Mum," Lydia began to step forward, sounding exasperated. "I've done this three times before." She walked briskly towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten, pushing a cart full of spell books, robes, and feather quills. It was true - three times before, she had entered Platform 9 3/4. But this time was different; each of the previous times, she had stayed for ten minutes before promptly turning and leaving. This time the train waited for her - Lydia was heading to Hogwarts.

The brick wall drew neared and nearer, and just when she should have collided with it, it vanished. Yes, this was now Lydia's fourth time, but the novelty had not yet worn off. Her excitement for the year to come, her anticipation to learn all the things her sister described over the summer, and perhaps her nerves, as well, made the entrance to this magical pocket of London more climactic than it should have been.

Platform 9 3/4 was brimming with wizards and witches, each hugging their children, or giving them final reminders. "Don't forget to write," she heard parents saying from all around her. Other parents were less sentimental. One mother, her face red with anger, was practically shouting at her oldest daughter, "You will NOT turn your brother into a toad this year, or I will personally make sure you are expelled from Hogwarts! I don't care how forgiving Professor Banff is!"

"Lydia!" Lydia looked in the direction of the Hogwarts Express, a shining scarlet steam engine, and saw her older sister Kayla. Grateful to have a destination, Lydia rushed over to her sister. Moments later, her mother, father, and little sister Alyssa joined them.

"Here's Simon," Lydia's mother handed her the snowy owl, which was looking quite startled in its cage, and Lydia stacked it on top of her cart.

"Why would you name your owl Simon?" Alyssa had pestered her sister about this matter non-stop for the month that Lydia had owned it. "It's such a muggle name. I'm going to name my owl something way better, like Pigwidgeon -"

"That's a terrible name for an owl," Lydia rolled her eyes. "You can't criticize my taste in names if that's the name you would pick."

Lydia's dad spoke up. "Let's run through your lists. Do you both have your cauldrons?"

"Yes," they said together.

"Your star charts? Your wands?"

"We're fine, Dad," Kayla said calmly.

"Can we go?" Lydia didn't bother to mask her annoyance as well as her sister.

"Okay, okay," their dad gave in. "Go ahead, and don't forget to study!" The two sisters each gave their parents a quick hug before running with excitement onto the Hogwarts Express. Kayla found a group of her friends and fellow fourth years instantly, and with a wave to her sister, joined them in their compartment. Now alone, Lydia anxiously looked for either of her friends, Ella or Rose. It didn't take long - only three compartments down, Ella was sitting with a complete stranger.

Ella and the girl were talking animatedly about which subject they were most excited for when Ella noticed Lydia and beckoned her into the compartment.

"Lydia," Ella said with excitement, "this is Alice Beck. Alice, this is Lydia Pearce, I told you about her back at Fortescue's, remember?"

"Hi," Alice said, her tone noticeably uncomfortable. She had long hair that was somewhere in between brown and blonde, and somewhere in between wavy and curly as well. Her eyes were a very light shade of brown, and she was rather tall. To be fair, everyone was tall in comparison to Lydia and Ella - they both were a good fifteen centimeters below average height.