The platform was full of students, young and old, and their parents. Excitement was in the air, along with chattering, hooting, miaowing and plenty of laughter. A scream pierced the air, making everyone around it turn to look. Orla peered round a couple of older students, and jumped back in surprise, stepping on Draco's foot. A long, hairy leg was poking out of a box. A long hairy leg that belonged to what looked like - like a tarantula! Orla gasped in shock, as did Draco when she stood on him. A boy with dreadlocks was holding the box, laughing at people's reactions, as were two identical, red-headed boys.
"Shall we go and find a carriage?" Orla asked as the large scarlet engine let out a burst of steam across the platform. Draco nodded. They both said goodbye to their mothers, then made their way into the train, dragging their heavy trunks. They found an empty carriage and not long after they settled, Crabbe and Goyle appeared, scowling.
"What's she doing here?" grumbled Crabbe.
"Going to Hogwarts. What about you?" retorted Orla.
"Look, I know you don't get on, but you are all my friends, so can we please just call a truce on this bickering?" snapped Draco, tired of the three of them fighting for his attention. "It's pretty likely we are going to be spending the next seven years together, so let's just all make a fresh start together." The others sighed and sat down.
"Sorry," grunted Goyle. "So, Orla, I take it you will be in Slytherin too?"
"Yeah," she smiled, relieved they were no longer bickering. It was draining. "Mum was Olivia Rosier, before she married dad and changed her name." A few minutes later, the train started to pull out of the station, so they all stood up and waved to their families who had come to see them off. Orla sat back down and opened up the cage at her feet. Ichabod, her half-kneazle, half-cat padded out, stretched his legs, then jumped up onto Orla's lap, making himself comfy.
By lunchtime, they were all getting really hungry, so were grateful when a dumpy little witch came along with a trolley full of sweets, cakes, and pasties. Crabbe and Goyle filled their arms with Chocolate Frogs, Cauldron Cakes and various other sweets. Draco bought a couple of pumpkin pasties and a packet of Lick'O'Rish Spiders. They were just tucking in when they heard a commotion outside their carriage door, so Orla got up to tell them to shut it, when she stopped in her tracks. No, that can't be right, she thought. She sat back down, slowly, her brain whizzing.
"What's up, Orla?" Draco asked, swallowing a mouthful of warm pumpkin pasty. He sat forward, looking a little worried now, as she had gone slightly pale and was trying to mouth words, but couldn't get them out. Finally she sat up and faced him.
"There are rumours floating around the train," she started. "Rumours saying that.... that.... that Harry Potter is here, on the train." There was a splat as Goyle dropped a Cauldron Cake onto the floor, missing his wide, open mouth.
"Come on then, let's go and see if it's true," sneered Draco, standing up. Orla put Ichabod back in his cage, while Crabbe and Goyle tried to stuff as many cakes into their mouths as they could before leaving the carriage. The four of them walked up and down the train, looking in each carriage until they found what they were looking for. Draco smirked, and threw open the door. There, stood before him, was the small boy with messy hair and glasses, the one from Madam Malkin's.
"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying up and down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"
"Yes," said Harry. He seemed to be eyeing the rest of Draco's crowd up. Draco saw this and waved an arm.
