Lucy Riddle and the Boy Who Lived

Malfoy the Eighth Weasley

Chapter Four

September 1 was nearing and her parents haven't left her side for nearly two weeks now. They wanted to spend as much time with her as possible before she headed off for school where they couldn't see her for a few months at a time. Her grandmother dropped in for a week and hung around, following Lucy all over the place alongside her parents, but she didn't really care. She was as terrified as anyone traveling to another school would be!

This would also be the first time she'd be away from her family. She has always been cooped up inside the house — not that she minded, though, having no friends to hang out with anyway — but now, she thought it would be a great opportunity to meet people . . . like her. To see people perform magic like she can and not think that it was weird. She wouldn't be called a freak for all the random things that happened around, to, or from her.

When the due date finally arrived, her parents drove her to King's Cross. No fireworks were set off this time. Her mother had casted a Body-Bind curse on her. But Lucy's nerves settled her down. Her stomach was bustling with butterflies, something that she didn't like. None of this usually happened. Not even when she made plans to involuntarily get in trouble. She loved and embraced risk.

When the station was nearing, her mother removed the spell, shushing at Lucy even when she wasn't making a sound. Her father trailed behind the two ladies, carrying the heavy trunk with some difficulty. It contained all her textbooks, her new robes, her Firebolt and some gifts from her mother (a magical bracelet, though Lucy didn't know what it could do), father (a makeshift knife that had many uses), and grandmother (a Sneakoscope to indicate when a nearby person was lying or untrustworthy).

Eventually her father dropped her trunk on his foot, causing him to hiss and curse. Her mother and Lucy heaved the trunk up only a couple feet, enough space for her father's foot to escape. Lucy's father limped around the station to find a trolley, having to refused using it when they came because he claimed he could "carry the light trunk around with these humongous muscles."

Her father sulked all the way to nine and three-quarters. Men don't like their muscularity questioned or challenged. There was still time to talk to her parents before the train departed. Her mother gave her a tight hug, crying a little on her shoulder. There could be some snot. Her father gave her an awkward pat, whispering to her that it was her mother's job to be emotional.

Lucy hugged him anyway, not minding at all that he froze. Her father wasn't much of a hugger, and as her mother told her, not an emotional person, having to live with just his sister for most of his life in an orphanage. His tears were long dried out, but his humorous self will always be in tact.

Lucy heard other parents yelling for their children to hurry up and get on the train. She sensed that it was her cue to leave, and so she shouted behind her as she pulled her luggage, "Bye, now! I'll see you at Christmas!"

She hopped onto the Hogwarts Express, waved to her mum and dad one more time and strolled passed many occupied compartments. She didn't know anyone on the train and felt like it would be too awkward for her if she sat with a stranger. Today was her lucky day because she found an empty compartment and a Harry Potter just about to slip inside it.

"Lucy, hey! Come sit with me."

She pulled her trunk inside and placed it above her, careful to make sure she didn't accidentally hit herself in the side of the head. Harry was doing the same thing. He placed a beautiful snowy-white owl on the seat besides him. The owl hooted at him.

Once he settled down, Harry said, "This is my owl, Hedwig. Hedwig, this is Lucy."

She waved at Hedwig, placing a finger through one of the slits and let Hedwig nip a little on her index finger. She was so awed at the owl. Nothing that beautiful had met her eyes before then. Lucy suddenly yearned for an owl of her own. She'd hoped to buy one in Diagon Alley, but it slipped out of her mind the moment she went inside Zonko's Joke Shop.