September First

Welcome Home

September First 1977 was crisp and sunny, a surprise for the inhabitants of Kings Cross Station, and, as usual, Platform 9 ¾ was crowded. Smoke billowed from the awaiting train, curling gently around the gathering people, as owls hooted loudly to one another. Groups of teenagers chattered noisily, laughs lighting up their faces as stories from summer passed through their lips. Trunks were loaded onto the train's last compartment, older students smiling down to the younger, smaller ones as they helped to lift and to point in the right directions.

"You didn't!"

The gathering of girls was easy to spot. Clearly old hands at experiencing a September First they were relaxed and comfortable; their laughs were loud and carefree as they dumped their trunks and owls, discarding of their trolleys before making their way down the platform. They had bid their goodbyes to their families before leaving their homes, meeting up to make the journey to Kings Cross for the last time together.

The girl in the middle turned to glance across to her exclaiming friend, her long dark hair was flying around her face as her hazel eyes rolled in annoyance "Bloody first years," she grumbled as she almost tripped over a nervous looking, very very short, eleven year old "As if September first wasn't hectic enough!"

"Careful Daxia," The redhead to her left, dodging around more eleven year olds with the skill only a seventh year could have perfected, began as the group of four friends pushed their way through the crowds packing the platform "Your Slytherin is showing!" she teased with a wide and cheeky grin. A few parents of said eleven year olds glared to the girls as they caught up loudly over the heads of their children.

Daxia Lestrange paused (forcing an emotional September First newbie-parent to knock into her back) to send Lily Evans a scowl. Everyone on the planet (especially ones residing in Hogwarts for most of the year) knew that if there was one thing Daxia hated more than anything (including a packed Platform 9 ¾) it was her heritage. It was only down to the fact that the two girls had been best friends for almost the entirety of the six years they had attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, meeting on that very platform as nervous eleven year olds themselves, which allowed Lily to get away with such comments.

Although, to look at and to know, the two girls seemed incompatible they had quickly found they understood one another; their beds residing beside one another in the dorm and their senses of humour complemented the other's as did their study techniques. Lily could get away with jokes that others couldn't while Daxia could tease Lily without suffering any consequences.

"Oh shush Lily!" Another of the group was exclaiming as she managed to bound gracefully ahead of her friends, walking backwards so she was able to face them as she spoke "I need to hear more from Dax!...A muggle?!"

Daxia smirked over to Adiya (as a parent sent them another disapproving look), a blonde and beautiful Californian adopted into the group soon after her emigration back in their third year. She had shuffled in behind the first years, more nervous than the smaller kids around her as she took in the spectacular scene that was The Great Hall. She had never been to a wizarding school before, her mother (who was a witch) had taken on the role of her tutor when they were shipped off to America when her father (a muggle) had received a promotion just before her third birthday. Sitting down on the stool in front of the entire school, after having to endure a speech from the headmaster explaining her situation, she had glanced around the faces as she chewed on her bottom lip. One of the tables burst into applause when the hat on her head called out "GRYFFINDOR!" and she'd hopped down from the front of the hall to join her fellow third years. The redhead to her left had welcomed her warmly while the girl with the dark hair and long curls had rolled her eyes, turning to whisper something to a ridiculously handsome boy sat on her left.