Have Faith - R. Lupin

Prologue

Faith Alexandra Blaidd, Al for short, was just like any other awkward eleven year-old girl. Only, she was shorter than any of the other girls and had a profound fascination for the stars. Neither had she grown out of the need for always having a flower crown atop of her head.

Recently, her family had moved from Australia into a small apartment in central London after her grandfather's sudden death. Al wasn't bothered by the move as much as a regular preteen. She wasn't the greatest at making friends, and was always the outsider when she did.

The twenty-fifth day of July seemed like any other, both of her parents were at work, and her older brother Josh had made friends with a boy his age that lived only two floors above them. All seemed normal, but when a knock on the door sounded throughout the house, Al panicked. She knew that the neighbours wouldn't bother them, Josh wouldn't bother knocking and her parents weren't due home for several hours.

Not wanting to open the door, Al stayed as stiff as a board. There was no movement in the house and she only relaxed when she could no longer hear faint footsteps. On her way to the kitchen, she noticed a letter on the dining room table.

Miss F. Blaidd
The Left Bedroom
5/67 Fildale Rd
London

~*~

Al and her family had gotten to King's Cross Station quite early on September first. Her mother had made sure of that, to make sure that she could get settled on the train without rushing. Once they arrived at the barrier which separates the muggles from the wizarding world, Al's nerves went into hyperdrive. What if she wasn't a good enough? What if they made a mistake? What if they sent her back home?

She had been worrying so much about what could possibly happen, that she didn't notice her brother pull her through the brick wall and onto the platform. She stopped, awed at the sight of the magnificent scarlet train. On the front, in plain sight, 'HOGWARTS EXPRESS' was displayed proudly for all to see. The train was so long that she couldn't see the end to the endless supply of carriages.

She had been so intrigued by the train that she hadn't noticed her parents come up behind her with trunk on a trolley and her rucksack in-hand. A spell had been cast upon her brother Josh and her parents, allowing them to pass through the barrier, even though they were muggles.

After Al found a compartment to herself , which wasn't that difficult considering that it was only 10:30, half an hour before departure. After setting down her rucksack and trunk, she ventured back onto the platform to say a final goodbye to her family.

Although, spotting her family in the rapidly growing crowd was proving to be a difficult task.

It was only 10 minutes until the train was due to leave at exactly 11 o'clock when she finally spotted them. After tears from her mother, reassuring words from her father and a punch on the arm from her brother, she was able to quickly walk off in the direction of the train. Not looking where she was going, she rammed into someone and they landed on the ground with a faint 'oomph'.

After recovering and steadying herself she looked down to see a boy, who couldn't have been much older than herself.

"Oh, sorry!"

She offered him a shaking hand, which he took, "Y-you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine, thank you. Are you alright?" He questioned her seeming generally concerned.

Al merely nodded in response to him. She noticed a large scar on his face, it ran through the middle of his left eyebrow, in a diagonal line crossing over his mouth and ending at the start of his chin. She was curious as to what to have caused such damage to a face as young as his, leaving a scar like that, but refrained from asking knowing not to be impolite.

"Are you going to Hogwarts too?" He queried, seemingly noticing that she didn't seem to have any luggage with her.

"Uh y-yeah. This is my firs-," she was cut off by the sound of the train starting to leave the station.

Without saying goodbye to the boy, the girl quickly sped off to hop on the train before it left without her. That same girl was oblivious when delicate flower crown, which once sat atop of her wavy brown hair, floated to the ground in front of the young boy's feet.