September 1st, 1987
Platform 9 3/4, Kings Crossing
An impressive scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks. The air inside the station was cool and humid, as it was pouring rain outside King's Cross. Everyone was bundled into some sort of rain jacket, and many had umbrellas with them as well.
The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. A girl with dark hair was struggling to push her trolley down the crowded platform, and her godmother Mary was anxiously scanning the train for open compartments.
"You have everything, right? Your wand? Spare pocket money? All of your robes?" She asked, double checking the girl's things before she could look herself.
"Yes Mum, don't worry. I'll be fine!" The girl said, rolling her eyes when she thought her godmother couldn't see her. While her godmother wasn't actually her Mum, it was close enough for her to say it.
"I saw that Katherine," She said sternly, frowning briefly at her goddaughter. "And it's better to be safe than sorry, as I'm sure you might know by now!" When she was younger, Katherine had a habit of losing things, so much so that her godmother had started packing her extra things.
There was a short whistle from the train, signaling the families packed onto the platform that their students needed to start getting onto the train. Katherine hurried to keep up with Mary as she walked briskly down the busy station to an open compartment.
There was one further down, near the start of the fourth car. Katherine adjusted her rucksack nervously, and turned to face her godmother.
"You'll write to me every week, you hear me?" Mary said sternly, handing Katherine the basket with her kitten in it.
"Of course I will, don't be silly." Katherine said, watching as her godmother rolled her eyes at this. Mary hoisted her trunk up from the trolley, and set it right side up so that she could easily carry it onto the train.
"Do you need help finding a compartment?" Mary asked anxiously, bending her neck to see if she could see down the long corridor of the train. "I know how hard it can be to find an empty one."
"Mum, I've got it!" Katherine whined, although she immediately felt bad when she saw her godmother's face drop. "But I can always use an extra hug." She added.
Her godmother instantly swept her up into a tight hug, burying her face in the top of her hair. Katherine held her just as tight, for once not minding the rain still drying on Mary's raincoat.
The train gave a warning whistle from behind them, and Mary hesitantly let go of her goddaughter, and nudged her towards the train.
Katherine grabbed the basket with her kitten, and boarded the train. With one hand on her trunk, and the other securely holding the kitten, she scanned the crowd for her godmother.
"I love you Katherine! Have a good year at school!" Mary shouted, blowing her a kiss.
"I love you too, Mum!" Katherine shouted back, and as she was turning to enter the train, her godmother's voice stopped her short.
"Promise you'll write to me first, no matter what's going on!" Katherine turned around, surprised, but before she could say anything, the train gave one more whistle and slowly began to move.
Katherine hurriedly grabbed her trunk and began to wheel it down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment. It brought her past the windows, and she eagerly looked for Mary, who was waving from the platform. Katherine waved back, and she saw Mary Disapparate right as the train rounded the corner.
She returned to looking for an empty compartment, but after going up and down the corridor several times, she was forced to realize there simply weren't any. She made her way to a compartment she had seen with only one girl with it, and stood in the doorway.
"Do you mind?" She asked hesitantly. "Everywhere else is full."
"Not at all!" The girl beamed, and she stood up. "Do you need any help getting your trunk up?" Kathrine nodded gratefully, and together they managed to get her trunk up in the luggage rack.
"Thank you," Katherine said breathlessly, flopping down on the seat. "I don't remember my trunk being that heavy yesterday!" The other girl laughed.
"My name is Penelope Clearwater." The girl introduced herself eagerly.
"I'm Katherine MacDonald." She said, giving Penelope a small smile. "Is it your first year here as well?"
"Oh, yes!" She said. "My parents dropped me off at the platform, but they weren't able to see me off. They had early work for the Ministry."
"Oh, my mum brought me, but she was able to see me off." Katherine said. "She was able to get work off today, but she works in the Ministry too."
The two made small talk the rest of the morning, learning different things about each other. Penelope wanted to be in Ravenclaw, Katherine wanted Gryffindor. Penelope's father worked in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and her mum worked in the Department of Magical Transportation. Katherine's godmother worked part time as a Healer and part time in the Apothecary in Diagon Alley. Penelope lived somewhere in Britain that Katherine couldn't remember, and Katherine lived in a small flat in London.
A small knock on the window made both girls fall silent. An elderly witch was standing with a trolley full of sweets, and had a kind smile.
"Anything off the trolley girls?" Penelope shot Katherine a small smile, and got a box of Bertie Bott's. Katherine opted for a Chocolate Frog.
As the afternoon wore on, both girls became absorbed in their various textbooks for school. Katherine's kitten was still sleeping soundly, the effect of a very mild Sleeping Draught given to it by Mary so that Katherine would have an easier time carrying her up to the castle.
Finally, as the light outside the compartment window turned to almost pitch black, Katherine and Penelope pulled on their robes for the first time and gathered their things. She could feel the train starting to slow down from beneath her feet, and the noise in the corridor confirmed that they were almost to Hogwarts.
The train gave a long whistle as they pulled into the station, and finally ground to a halt with surprising ease. Katherine looked at Penelope, nervous; the other girl's face was slowly turning stony and pale.
They joined the throngs of students on the platform, and immediately pulled their hoods up on their robes. It was no use though, the rain drenched them in a matter of seconds.
"Bloody hurricane," Katherine heard Penelope mutter beside her, and couldn't help but snort.
"Firs' years! Firs' years o'er 'ere! This way!" Katherine heard, and grabbed Penelope by the elbow to head over towards the call. She knew it was Hagrid, the gamekeeper for the grounds, and her godmother had told her that he was very friendly and nice.
"Is 'at everyone?" There was a rather small group of first years, but Katherine was more startled to see the giant of a man towering over them. With shaggy black hair, wild eyes, and a rather shaggy look about him, she suddenly understood why Mary had stressed that he was friendly.
"We'll be 'eading this way then. We 'ake boats 'cross the lake" Hagrid said, shepherding the group of first years behind him, and set off a darkening path. Katherine heard Penelope groan quietly beside her, but before she could ask what was wrong, they started off down the path.
YOU ARE READING
Lumos
Fanfiction"Who is she Albus? She looks so familiar." Severus pleaded with him, thinking of the auburn haired girl that had sat in the Great Hall earlier that evening. "She is your daughter Severus," Dumbledore told him, as his knees went weak. "Wha- that's no...
