Lily Potter and Neoma's Trance

Chapter Thirty-Seven

A few more days passed by, and before they knew it, Lily and Hugo were back aboard the Hogwarts Express, looking for a compartment along with Rudolph.

“You see,” Hugo began, “this is what happens when we’re some of the last people on the train. We can’t find a compartment. Where are we going-”

“Found one!” Lily smiled as she slid open a door to reveal a compartment with two familiar faces in it: Cassie Baldwin and Nora Nott. “Mind if we join you?”

“Absolutely not,” Lily heard Hugo mumble from behind her. “No way.”

“Come on in!” Cassie smiled, beckoning the three of them to join her.

Nora cracked the tiniest of smiles as Lily gave her a full on grin. Lily would get her to like her if it was the last thing that she ever did.

“Boys, this is Cassie Baldwin, first year Ravenclaw. And you’re both familiar with Nora Nott, first year Slytherin. Cassie, Nora, this is Hugo Weasley and Rudolph Nickelson; they’re both Gryffindor first years like me.”

“Brilliant!” Cassie grinned. “Come on in then; we’ve got room for three more!”

Smiling, Lily slid into the compartment and put her trunk up on the rack. She helped stack Rudolph’s and Hugo’s as well and sat in between Cassie and Nora once she finished. Lily then opened her cats’ cages and let them both hop up onto her lap.

“Cute cats!” Cassie smiled. “What are their names?”

“Mouse is the gray one, and Ginger’s the orange one,” Lily answered. “I got Ginger over the holiday. She was a stray I came across in Diagon Alley. Luckily, my dad let me keep her!”

“I’ve got an owl,” Cassie said. “She’s at Hogwarts right now though; her name’s Tweety after the Muggle cartoon character. She’s a screech owl.”

“Those two have owls,” she said, pointing to Hugo and Rudolph.

“Yeah,” Hugo nodded. “I’ve got one named Hercules; he’s a screech, too!”

“That’s so interesting!” Cassie laughed. “I want to work with owls when I’m older! How about your owl, Rudolph? What’s your owl like?”

“First name basis?” Hugo questioned, looking at his cousin with his skeptical blue eyes.

“Any friend of mine if a friend to you two, Hugo” Lily spoke up, gesturing both to Cassie and Nora. “And Eli for that matter.”

“Anyway, to answer your question, Cassie” Rudolph began, “I’ve got a barn owl named Athena. She’s a biter.” He rolled his eyes and looked at the bird on the floor beside him, causing everyone in the compartment to let out a small bit of light laughter. “Seriously! I’ve gotten a number of nasty bites from her.”

“I believe it!” Cassie laughed. “Barn owls tend to be the worst biters in my experience.”

“What experience have you got, Cass?” Nora joked, surprising Lily, Hugo, and Rudolph with her easygoing manner.

“None at all,” Cassie shrugged. “I’ve done a lot of research about owls though! Barn owls tend to be very nippy!”

“I understand that now,” Rudolph said, glaring at his bird.

“That’s why I like my rabbit,” Nora smiled, stroking the large, brown rabbit on her lap. “His name’s Roscoe, and he’s never bitten anything but my clothes.”

Hugo laughed, “I never knew a Slytherin would love bunny rabbits. Are you sure that isn’t a snake in disguise or-”

“Hugo Weasley,” Lily began to scold him. They were actually having a civil conversation with Nora, and she didn’t want his prejudices to ruin it.