Chasing Time (Seamus Finnigan)

one

'Everything about the Darkest and Most Dangerous Magical Creatures,' Harry read out loud, looking at my book. 'It's interesting. I have it from when I was ten,' I said. Ron and Hermione looked at the book now too. 'It looks ancient,' said Ron, and we all laughed, as the train set off.

'You'll like Hogwarts,' said Ron. 'And Hogsmeade,' he added. 'Nice.' I had heard lots about Hogwarts already from Draco, whenever my dad and I needed to visit them, for example with Christmas. When I was a child, I loved it there, but as I look back now, I think about it otherwise.

'Anything from the trolly, dears?' said an old witch, pushing a trolley full of candy. Chocolate Frogs were my favourites, so I got up an asked for two. I paid (four sickles) and got back to my seat, as Ron stood up to get himself a Liquorice Wand.

The trolley witch left and Ron sat back down, as I opened my first Chocolate Frog. I could eat it every moment of the day. 'Who do you have?' asked Ron. I looked up at him. 'Your card?'

I took out the chocolate and then the card. 'Newt Scamander,' I said. 'I've got him already three times.' Ron took the card from me. 'I don't. Can I have it?' He looked at the card. So he was collecting them too. 'Sure.' He put the card away immediately.

'Do you collect them as well?'

He nodded. 'Yeah. I've got like three hundred of them,' he said.

'Me about eight hundred. I only need Mirabella Plunkett, Bowman Wright, and Bertie Bott,' I said.

His eyes widened. 'Blimey. That's a big collection. Now say I'm obsessed, Hermione,' he hissed at Hermione, who was reading a book. I read the title. Hogwarts, A History.

She didn't look up. I supposed she was concentrating on the book.

'It's the fitfth time she reads it or something,' said Ron with a sigh. 'That's not that bad. I mean, the book I read the most, I read eighteen times,' I confessed.

'See, now say I'm obsessed, Ron,' Hermione impersonated him. I laughed. 'In my childhood it didn't do anything else than reading,' I said.

'So dad said there was going to happen something kind of big at Hogwarts,' said Ron. Now he had the attention of all of us. 'I don't know what. I asked him a lot of times, though, but he won't tell me,' he said and scratched his head.

The door of our compartment slid open and two taller boys, both read-headed and looking exactly the same, came in. 'Ron, did you see our Dungbombs?' one of them asked. Ron frowned. 'What should I do with that?' he said like he would never do such thing.

'Ask that to yourself,' the other boy said. Then his eye fell on me. 'Who are you?' he said, frowning.

'Dora. A transfer,' I said matter-of-factly.

'Dora. Nice to meet you,' he said and he shook my hand. 'Fred Weasley,' he introduced himself.  'I come from Durmstrang,' I added.

'Alright. Fourth year?' he asked. 'Exactly.' His twin, I supposed, shook my hand too.

'George Weasley. I'm his twin.'

'Yeah, noticed that,' I said and ran a hand through my black, curled hair. The twins talked a bit to Ron and then left the compartment.

x

'You really have a big family, then,' I said, whilst we were walking to the Great Hall with the four of us. Hogwarts had surprised me when we had arrived. The castle looked beautifull, especially in the dark.

'Yeah. Six siblings. There's always someone to talk to, even if you don't want to,' he said. I couldn't imagine that, as I was only child. 'Wow. I would like to have a brother or sister too,' I said. 'You don't have one? Well, you know, then there's no one to ennoy you either.'

We sat down at het Gryffindor table, waiting for the feast to begin.

x

When the feast had ended, it was time to go to the common room, but as I didn't know where that was, I was totally lost. Harry, Hermione and Ron had already left, and I stood in the Entrance Hall, waiting for a Gryffindor to show up.

'Dora! Why are you standing here like that?' I heard a familiar voice say. I turned around. It was George Weasley. 'I'm kind of lost,' I said matter-of-factly. He laughed. 'You're lost? Come on, I'll walk with you,' he suggested, as we set off. 'Thanks,' I said with a reliefd sigh.

'Hogwarts is a big place, you can better keep up with my brother and his friends,' he said. 'Same year. Should be handy,' he said as he ran a hand through his red hair. I nodded.

As we came to a portrait of a fat woman, George said: 'Caput Draconis.' The portrait swung open and we entered the common room.

It looked very nice and cosy in there, and I saw Ron, Hermione and Harry sitting by the fireplace. 'Thanks again,' I muttered to George, and I walked towards them. 'Dora! We were wondering if you got lost or something,' Harry said. 'I was,' I noted. Ron laughed. 'You were lost? That's just pathetic.'

I frowned. 'I've never been here before, you maybe had to think about that,' I stated. Hermione stood up. 'I'm going to bed. Are you coming, Dora?' I took her hand and she pulled me up.

She led me up the stairs and to our dormitory. My trunk was laying on one of the beds. I unpacked some stuff and shove it underneath my bed.

Hermione and I were the only ones in our dormitory. 'Oh yeah, there are three more girls here, Parvati and Lavender, they're close friends, and Maddie,' said Hermione, as she put on her pyjama's and so did I. Then she sat down on my bed whilst I was putting some stuff away.

'What's with your family?' she asked. 'Didn't hear a lot about it.' She bundeld her hair in a ponytail. My heart skipped a beat. I couldn't tell her who my father was. It would just destroy everything, now they're being nice to me, and if I would tell them, it would stop, and then I was all alone in this big castle where I knew nobody and nothing.

'It's just me and my dad,' I said, as I sat down next to her. 'Uhm... Your mom left or-'

'Yes, she left. I don't know why, but it doesn't matter, as I have almost no memories of her,' I said. Hermione nodded. 'Where does he works?' she asked,  interested, as she lent to my bedpost.

'At the Ministry. I don't know what he does there,' I said, as I tried to brush my long, black hair.

'You don't have to comb it, it's nicer like that,' said Hermione, pointing at my hair and grinning.

I grinned too and put the brush away. Then she stood up and took a book from her bedside table. 'I'm going to read a bit, if you don't mind?' I shook my head immediatly.

We both climbed in our beds and as Hermione flipped page after page, I fell asleep on one of my favourite sounds.

A/N

So the first chapters are going to be not very well-written, I'm sorry. The reason is that I've written this book a while ago and I try to edit it as I upload it, but sometimes it would change the whole storyline and that's not something I'm up to. But it'll get better, I promise! In the meanwhile, thanks for reading!

Loran