Background Hogwarts

Chapter One - The Journey

As the last of the group of four eleven year olds and their parents came out of the wall, they huddled together to say their goodbyes. Hugs and kisses, followed by sprinting onto the train to get seats together. They got a compartment together and sat down. Waved to their parents like crazy until they could no longer see them. They began telling stories about their trips to Diagon Alley to get the necessary supplies for Hogwarts. Melanie Black commented that it took her ages to be chosen by a wand, but she had finally gotten an ash wand with a dragon heartstring core that was ten inches long. It was matte black with silver patterns on the handle. She proudly shows this wand off to the group. Everyone thought it was beautiful. William Reed was next, he said that he connected with the first wand he tried. It was a rosewood wand with a Phoenix feather core that was eleven inches long. It was red/brown and had gold patterns swirling on the handle. "Anything from the trolley dears?" Came an elderly woman's voice. "No thank you." Replied the group in unison. Elizabeth Stewart presented her wand, it was walnut with a Thesteral tail hair core, nine and a half inches long. It was light brown with carvings into the handle, a pattern of overlapping circles. Finally Max Walsh got his wand out. It was mahogany with a unicorn tail hair core, eleven and a half inches long. It was dark brown with a cloudy glass ball on the end of it, the glass looked as though it were plaited into the wood. He blushed as his friends marveled in it's magnificence. "One bad thing about this world," Elizabeth began, "is the privileged attitudes of the purebloods. It doesn't make them any better than anybody else. They haven't even done any magic yet!" "Liz, aren't you pureblood?" William asked. "Yes Will, I am. Why should that matter? My parents raised me to be humble and not shove my head so far up my butt that-" she stopped, took a deep breath, apologised and excused herself to use the bathroom. Everybody else sat there looking at each other awkwardly. Elizabeth returned and the conversation resumed, they talked about sorting and Quidditch until the train stopped and they had to get off. 

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They stepped onto the ground and an elderly woman in a green dress and a pointy hat made her way towards them. "First years I presume." She said, but before any of them had a chance to reply, she continued "Good good, onto this carriage then please." They hurried onto the carriage as the woman said "Alright, take the first years to the castle."  The carriage began to move. "There's nothing pulling it!" Someone said. "Of course there is, are you blind! It's like a horse, but it has wings and it's all burnt." Elizabeth described the creature. There were several comments saying she was crazy or seeing things. "I can see them too, they're Thesterals. You can only see them if you've seen death. My mum was killed by Bellatrix when I was eight. I'm Tom, by the way, Tom Coleman." A small boy said from beside Elizabeth. "Hi, I'm Elizabeth Stewart. My grandad was killed a couple of months ago" she paused, "by Voldemort himself." The entire carriage went silent and stared at Elizabeth. "What? He murdered my grandfather. I was there. My grandad was never scared not once. For me to be scared now would be an insult to his memory. So I will speak his name, because if we live in fear. He will use it against us." Everyone continued to stare in silence. Until Elizabeth heard passionate clapping from beside her. She rubbed her arm nervously until her friends joined in. She blushed. "You're right" Tom began, "we have no hope with fear." She chatted to Tom about Thesterals and wands until the carriage pulled up in front of a castle.