Growing Through Time (A Harry Potter au Story)

1

Pushing herself against the wall to allow the other students to pass, Paulina Woznica had thought she would be able to sit in an empty compartment by now. Unfortunately every compartment she had checked had been crowded with students. She didn't really want to sit with strangers, so she continued down the Hogwarts express pressing her sketch pad against herself.
It wasn't till she got to the back of the train that she found what appeared to be an empty compartment.
Smiling she opened the compartment door and sat down, throwing her bag on the seat next to her. Opening up her sketch pad she began to look at her previous sketches checking none of her work had been ruined on the journey to Kings Cross or while she had been pushed past on the train.
It wasn't till she looked up that she realised that the compartment hadn't been empty.
A girl with frizzy blonde hair and bluey-grey eyes sat opposite Paula.
She was looking up at her in interest, beside her lay a book called 'Incredibly useful spells that every prankster should know'
Paula started gathering her things ready to find a new compartment.
"You can stay if you want, I don't mind. Merlin knows I could do with the company." The girl beamed.
Paula dropped her bag and sat back down.
"Thanks, I'm Paula it's my first year and I didn't really know anybody." Paula explained.
"Same here, the names Mindy, I take it your familiar with the wizarding world?"
                         •
Flying through the compartment doors, Molly hoped it was empty, as to not embarrass herself with her clumsy entrance. Yet, her prayers weren't answered when she heard snickering from in front of her. Setting her wrought iron owl cage down gently she advanced forward, with what little dignity she had left, to introduce herself to a tall, dark skinned girl who sat in the corner.
"Watch it Weasley! Don't want to hang around blood dirtier than your own!" A voice rang behind her, snickering.
Turning around slowly, she stared the platinum blonde-haired boy in the eyes,
"I am not a Weasley! How many times must I remind you people!" Molly remarked, going crimson red in the cheeks, her hands forming into fists.
The boy looked her over and replied (with a tone of a stuck up prick),
"Obviously not, your robes are of quality they could never afford. Apologies."
And with that he strutted away, hands stuck deep in his pockets.
Standing there, in the middle of the compartment, Molly brought herself to look back at the occupants of the space she invaded.
"Heeyy......" she started of awkwardly waving at them.
A boy on her right sat up straighter, leaned over his friend to face her and waved back enthusiastically,
"Hi!" He smiled at her, "I'm Tom! Are you going to join us for the rest of the journey?"
Shuffling her feet, Molly brought herself to sit down on the seat to her left, opposite Tom and his friend.
"I guess so." Molly replied.
"Great! Just.... I don't think it's wise to leave your owl there." Toms' friend said pointing at the rattling silver cage which stood on the floor near the open door.
Jumping up, she shut the door with a quiet thud and picked the cage up. Peering inside she saw two yellow beady eyes glaring at her with annoyance; she covered them up with the curtain and sat down.
"My name is...-" The boy ,and the girl she noticed earlier by which she sat next, to started of in unison. They looked at each other, seemingly having a silent argument, and then the girl turned to look at Molly.
"My name is Bryony. Nice to meet you." She said, gently, "And that one is Kurtis." Bryony indicated towards him with a nod sending a playful glare at him too. Molly looked at the boy next to Tom who, by the looks of things, already has quite a nicely defined jawline.
"Nice to meet you guys, I'm Molly O'Brien." She stated.
"Not a Weasley then?" Tom joked.
"No." Molly replied sternly, yet she smiled softly, corners of her eyes crinkling delicately and the small dimple was visible on her cheek when she did so.
                        •
The train halls were now empty, apart from a couple older stray students and the trolley lady, who pushed around the sweets and delicacies, the sugary smell wafted through the air. The rattling wheels shook the train slightly as Brody walked down the hallway looking for a compartment, yet not one had someone decent;

#1 Too girly

#2 Too idiotic

# 3 Too intimidating

# 4 Too old

#5 A nerdy-ish girl and a frizzy-haired girl.

...Wait. Reaversing back she peered inside and broadly knocked on the glass, waiting.
"Yes?" The frizzy haired girl asked, opening the ajar door a bit further. Fixing the books in her arms, so she coud lean against the doorframe, she peered down at the girl, who was staring at her confused and intrigued.
"Could I maybe share this compartment with you?"Brody asked, smiling slightly.
The two girls looked at each other and back at Brody.
"What do you think Mindy?" the girl who sat with a notebook, asked Mindy.
"Sure, come in." Mindy grinned, moving aside to let Brody in.
"So Mindy and..."
"Paula." The other girl replied.
"...And Paula. I am Brody. Brody Appleford."
             •
The train came to a screeching halt at the Hogsmeade station,smoke billowing down against the windows.The doors opened and a sea of students of all ages stepped out, pushing their way through to the platform.
"Move out of the way, peasants.... Move it..." Mindy muttered, clutching the pranking book in her hands, whilst pushing through people. Following closely behind were Brody and Paula, gently manuavering their way through the people , giving them apologetic smiles on their friends behalf.
Reaching the open wide, oak brown door, the three friends looked out to see a run down over the years of usage station. It was crowded by other pupils of Hogwarts, the grey cobblestone path was hidden beneath the hundred robes and the air was filled with happy chatter.
"Let's go." Mindy said, smiling brightly at the other two, yet it sounded like a question. She was nervous.
Tucking her long brown hair behind her ears, Brody held onto her books tighter. Whereas Paula smiled back brightly, confidence taking over her, turned towards the exit and jumped off.
Her feet landed on the ground, tripping over the long robes and falling on her face, luckily unscathed.
Laughing, Mindy and Brody hopped off and went to aid their friend, before heading off to the other first years crowd.
                          •
"Firs' years! Firs' years over 'ear!" bellowed the loud voice of the giant in an enormous waistcoat supported by a big leather belt. He had a lantern burning bright yellow in one hand and with the other he gestured the wandering students towards him. Most of his face was shielded in hair, apart from his eyes and rosy cheeks.
"Have you heard? Harry Potter is joining Hogwarts!" whispered a passing couple of girls in their 3rd year. They looked excited, their eyes scanning the other students, searching for the small boy.
"Who's Harry Potter?", Tom asked, looking confused, his brows furrowed together and hands fidgeting nervously.
Bryony, Kurtis and Molly looked at him, faces portrayed either shock or disbelief, feet all stopped in unison. They were all heading from the train, towards the man, all luggage left behind to be transported later by magic, to the designated rooms.
"He is-"
"Harry Potter is the boy who lived!" Kurtis said, interupting Bryony.
"You know, the boy with the scar on his head?" Molly put in, trying to help, as Toms still looked quite unsure.
From a face of confusion, came a look of understanding on Tom and he seemed to finally understand.
           •
That was all 3 years ago.

3 years of developing friendship in the group of teens, and another 4 years to be adventuring through.