I looked at my trunk and and Awttle's (the owl's) cage. I was standing on the pavement on the outskirts of the village with Hannah, Ellie and a pile of cases and the cages of Squid, Ellie's owl and Johan, Hannah's owl, waiting for Hagrid to turn up and take us to go and buy our school stuff.
"How much longer?" moaned Hannah. I sighed. She had been asking that every few moments for the past half hour!
"Same as it was the last time you asked. We still don't know." Ellie hissed. She was obviously losing her temper. In anticipation of a fight I changed the subject.
"So what do you think Hogwarts will be like?" I asked, breaking the silence that had formed.
"Well, in Hogwarts- A History, it said-"
"Wait," Hannah said, "how have you even read that yet?"
"Oh," Ellie seemed surprised that we hadn't. "I asked to have the books delivered early so I could read them before term started." Me and Hannah sighed and rolled our eyes. She basically gave herself extra home work for the holidays. Only Ellie would do that!
We sat in silence for awhile waiting for Hagrid to come. I looked up and saw some lights. Was this even happening????? I was so confused. But yes, Hagrid's motorbike and sidecar were flying through the air towards us.
"Uhh, guys." I said "Am I going mad?" Hannah and Ellie looked up and gasped.
"No, Eilidh, you're not going mad. You already were!" We all burst out laughing just as Hagrid touched down.
"Wh't y'all laughin' at?" he asked gruffly.
"Nothing important!" I said. "It wasn't that funny."
"Hurry up 'en. Get in." He opened the back of the sidecar to reveal a huge boot and then lifted out trunks in as easily as if they were feathers. "Yer might wan' to keep yer owl with you. Can be a rough ride, if ye get my meanin'."
I climes into the front of the sidecar, Hannah passed Awttle's cage in to me and then she and Ellie climbed in, all arguments forgotten.
~~~
Hagrid had been right. It was a rough ride. Hannah, charmingly, was sick all over us, but Hagrid used his umbrella to clean it up. I let Awttle out of her cage so she could stretch her wings but then she pooped on Hagrid so I had to put her back in. By the time we arrived in London I was so tired I almost couldn't be excited. Almost.
