Rose Weasley

Chapter 1 - The Journey Begins at Platform 9 ¾

Chapter 1 - The Journey Begins at Platform 9 ¾

Harry was waving goodbye until the Hogwarts Express disappeared, remembering the times he spent on it; playing Gobstones, sharing chocolate frogs with Ron. I’d be great to come back, just once… but I won’t. I’m not going to find myself there again, ever… Harry didn’t know how mistaken he was.

                                                    *              *              *

Albus and Rose wandered the train, doing their best to find a compartment that had not yet been taken. After passing a particularly nasty bunch of sixth year Slytherins, they were relieved to discover what they had been looking for at the end of the train.

Rose opened the old, rattling door to reveal a row of red seats on each side, a luggage rack above the seats, and a window at the far end. The two put their luggage on the narrow, silver, racks and sat in silence. “So…” started Rose. “Are you – ”

However, Albus never found out what Rose wanted to say, because at that moment, the compartment door creaked open, revealing a hand moving in a hurried motion.

Albus instantly jumped up, having heard from James about what kinds of jokes were often played on first years. Anything that involved “…and then they take you by your neck, and drag you to the bathrooms, and…” James mimicked suffocating with overdone sound effects at this point.

Luckily it wasn’t anybody unwanted. Unexpected, however, was a different case. “Lily! Oh-my-god-what-are-you-doing-here-you-should-be-at-home-with-mum-and-dad!” Albus let his cry of excitement out in an uncharacteristically high-pitched voice.

“Gee, Al, you’re taking this way too seriously. Anyways, did you think I wasn’t even going to try and get on the train? Honestly…” The girl sounded exasperated, as if she was merely stating the obvious.

“Where’s Hugo?” asked Rose, inquiring about her younger brother.

“Oh, he was too chicken to come.”

“And he had a good reason…” said Albus, eying the door. Lily, sensing that something was wrong, turned very slowly on her spot. She caught sight of the door and her jaw dropped. Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter were standing on the other side of the stained window inserted in the door, arms crossed, but smiling.

“Mum, dad! How’d you get here?” Lily attempted a look of genuine surprise.

“I thought I told you to stay off the train, young lady.”

“And I thought you didn’t!” she replied mockingly, knowing her little trip had come to an end.

“C’mon, Lily. You can’t stay here forever. Let’s go.” Lily took her mother’s hand, smiled to her brother, and disappeared.

Rose and Albus sat, staring out the window, listening to the muffled laughs coming from the corridor. Rose stood up to have a last glance at London, now becoming a speck as the distance grew, and sighed. She was wondering how Hugo felt. Was he as anxious to see Rose again as she wanted to see him? She was already starting to miss him. His laughs, his hugs, and even his abnormal habits of breaking into song for no reason. At last, Rose broke the silence. “You nervous?” she asked.

“A bit…” Albus sounded as if he was about to faint from horror. “What if I’m in Slytherin?” he said, voicing a thought that had been troubling him for weeks.

“Relax. You won’t be.”

By lunch, a couple of people joined the two, including James, a blushing Victorie, and a tall boy of twelve Rose didn’t recognize.