Belladonna

Aboard the Express

Belladonna 2

Aboard the Express

1 September 1990

Ana pushed her trolley through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10 with an almost regal confidence. Once she was on the other side, however, that confidence turned to wonder. Having grown up in the magical world, Ana was familiar with a fair bit of magic already. She wasn't simply boasting when she told Draco she could already brew the potions in her text book, and she was quite adept at flying as well. Standing on platform 9 ¾ however, magic seemed to take on a new meaning.

The scarlet red engine, with its billowing white smoke, seemed to glisten with the magic with which it was imbued. All around her there were witches and wizards, both young and old, dressed in their wizarding robes. And as for the Muggleborns and their families, they were easily spotted by their Muggle attire and dream-like wonder on their faces. Owls screeched and fluttered their wings against their cages, and the cats hissed as she passed by, but Ana didn't care.

She was on her way to Hogwarts.

Already dressed in her robes, and with no one to say goodbye to, Ana handed off her trunk to be loaded and boarded the train. The train was less crowded than the platform, but only marginally so. Returning students were breaking off to find their friends. While the first years were blundering around trying to make friends.

Ana did not bother with any of that. In a manner of speaking, Ana and Draco were friends of convenience. None of the other children around Spinners End seemed to like Ana very much. Her excommunication from them bothered her at first, but Sev taught her how to lock those feelings of ineptitude away. Then, when Sev began working, Ana began her lessons at Malfoy Manor. She was forced to sit in on Maths, Languages, and Etiquette lessons with Draco. Their shared dislike for Madame Bonaparte is what sparked their friendship.

As she walked the length of the train looking for the perfect compartment, Ana discovered that she seemed to have the unfortunate luck of having rambunctious boys step in front of her. This time it took the form of a rather rough looking red head, older by the looks of it, jumping backwards out of a nearby compartment and ramming Ana shoulder first into the wall. An instant later Ana realized why he had leapt out of the compartment. There was a pop and a puff of smoke followed by a most wretched smell.

"Fred! George!"

"Whoa, sorry."

"Oh, Perc!"

"You all right?"

"Oh that's foul in'it, Freddie?"

"Charlie! You're a Prefect. Do something!"

"I warned you not to touch it!" said the boy who bumped into Ana. He was now holding her by the shoulders and trying to help her stand up right again.

Ana looked around and noticed that the perpetrators were a band of brothers; they shared far too many characteristics to be merely cousins. Three of them were rather thin and lanky, but the fourth, the eldest, was rather shorter.

"Well if it isn't the little snake," one of the taller ones said.

"Oh. It's you," Ana said plainly, for it was the same boy that had nearly run into her in Diagon Alley.

"You two know each other?" his twin asked.

"Hardly."

"We met in Diagon Ally."