When I Saw Hogwarts

Chapter 5

The week has flown by so fast. It's finally the day we go to Kings Cross.

Everyone was rushing around this morning before we took off. We all get into the car (squished in the back with my brothers) with our trunks in the trunk.

Dad presses a button and the car lifts into the air. Then he presses another button and the car turns invisible from the outside. As we take off I wave farewell to our house as we get farther and farther away from it. I decide to take a nap so I lean against Rookwood and fall asleep.

A half hour later...

"Wake up. We're here." Says mum from the front. Rookwoods head is resting on my head so I jab him in the ribs so he will wake up. He starts with a jolt and pinches my arm. I smack him then jump out of the car before he can do anything else. Dad and Grantbus come back with trolleys for our trunks and owls. We load up our stuff and head into the station. We go to platform nine and three-quarters.

We go into the platform one at a time as to not draw attention to ourselves. I go right after Rookwood.

Before me sits a Scarlet Steam Engine. I look up to find a sign with the words nine and three-quarters. The platform is packed with people. Cats of every color were here and there. Owls hooted to each other after a long time, no see. There were even some toads.

The first few carriages are already packed with students. Rookwood and I split up with Ethancival because he wants to go sit with his friends. We push past people to find empty seats. We find an empty compartment. We put Midnight and Tony in first. Then we shove our heavy trunks inside.

We open the window and wave at our parents and Grantbus. Grantbus is already out of school. The train starts to move. It moves faster and faster and faster. The door opens and Lily from Madam Malkin's robes for all occasions is standing there with a trunk beside her. "Is anyone sitting there?" She asks pointing to the seat across from me. "Everywhere else is full."

"No one's sitting there," I tell her. See? I knew we would probably meet again. "It's nice to see you again." I at least want to be nice.

"Yeah. There are so many people here I didn't think I would see you again."

"This is my brother Rookwood. He's my twin." I say pointing at him.

"Nice to meet you. My names Lily."

Rookwood just nods his head and looks out the window.

"Is your family wizards and witches?" Lily asks.

"Yeah, dad's a pureblood and mum's muggle born."

"Nice. I come from a family of muggles. I have one older sister. If I'm honest, she hates the idea of me being a witch."

"Oh, I have three older brothers. No sisters. He came out five seconds before I did." I say pointing my finger at Rookwood. He smiles and pokes his tongue out at me. I punch him playfully in the arm.

"Is it hard to be the only girl?" Lily asks.

"No, I guess it makes me tougher. My brothers are always looking out for me. If I had a sister I wouldn't be as tough. Plus I love all my brothers and I'm thankful to be their little sister." I tell her. Pleased with my answer.

Around half past twelve a smiling, dimpled woman opened up our door and said, "Anything off the cart dears?" Rookwood and I race to the cart to see our favorite candies. Bertie Bott's every flavor beans, Drooble's best blowing gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands and a number of other great goodies. We both bought some of everything and paid the witch eleven silver sickles and seven bronze knuts. We dump it all on an empty seat and dig in. I make Lily try some as she's never had candy like this before and so she doesn't go hungry.

"What are these? They're not really frogs are they?" Asks Lily holding a Chocolate Frog container.

"No of course not," I tell her.

"I don't trust you on this one."

Oh man, she probably sees my face as I am trying really hard not to laugh. "Just open it." I urge her.

"Okay." She says and starts to open it. When the lid comes off the Chocolate Frog jumps out and lands on Lily's face. She shrieks and I laugh so hard that I fall out of my seat. Rookwood helps me get back up because I can't stop laughing. Lily holds up a card from the container. "So this is Toadfeste?" She asks.

"Yeah." I open up a Chocolate Frog and catch him with my mouth before he can get away. I look at my card. I got Agrippa. "I have about five hundred cards."

"Wow. You must eat a lot of Chocolate Frogs then."

I laugh, "Yes I do. I have a drawer in my room that's filled with them. Anyways we better change into our robes because I think we'll be there soon."

Lily and I step outside and let Rookwood change. Then when he's done he waits outside as we change into our robes. A voice echoes down the corridor: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train. It will be taken to the school separately."

When the train slows down we join the mass of people in the corridor pushing towards the doors. A lamp was floating through the mist with a voice saying, "First Years! First Years over here! C'mon follow me- Any more first years? Mind your step, now. First years follow me!" We all follow the voice down a steep, narrow path filled with loose rocks and stones. I really hope I don't fall into Rookwood who's walking in front of me. "You'll get your first look at Hogwarts in a second. It's just around this bend."

The narrow path opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. On top of a mountain on the other side of the lake was a castle with many turrets and towers. All of the windows sparkled in the twinkling light of the stars. The voice started again, it belongs to a woman named Professor Grubblyplank, "We will make our way over to the castle by boat." She then pointed at a fleet of boats near the edge of the water. "No more that four to a boat."

Rookwood and I were followed into a boat by Lily and a boy named Daniel. The boats start across the water by themselves. They float across the waters as smooth as glass. "Heads down." Professor GrubblyPlank yells as we near the cliff. We all duck our heads as the boats carry us through a curtain of ivy. We sail down a long dark tunnel until we reach an underground harbor. We all clamber out of the boats onto rocks and pebbles and head up steps to a big door. Man, they definitely have some big doors. There at least three times bigger than me. Professor Grubblyplank knocks solidly three times and the door opens.