I'm a Wizard?

Chapter 5

I learned so much while working at Ms. Katrina’s “diner”. It was unbelievable how much I didn’t know!!! I feel even more prepared now than I did then! I learned some of the latest trends and facts! Like, most people in my age group have names or middle names associated with stars and the new fashion trend is to wear a dragon hide pouch attached to your belt or robes!

I was also grateful to Ms. Katrina for giving me a different haircut so that people wouldn’t recognize me from the paper as much. So, instead of having long hair I now had a layered, shorter style. How the Daily Prophet got a picture of me with long hair while I was in America, I have no clue. Ms. Katrina got me an old copy of the Prophet so I could cut the article out and keep it in my trunk and show it to my family later! There is so much more to tell you guys about, but right now I’m getting ready to leave for Kings Cross Station so it will have to wait until later!

*Fast Forward*

I was so nervous about going through the barrier that I almost missed the train just trying to psyche myself up. All of the compartments around me were taken. Some students had already changed into their school robes. I saw an older student with a badge walking down the same side of the train as me. I figured he would be able to tell me where I could sit.

“Um, excuse me?” I said my voice still sounding slightly American.
“What? Oh hello. What’s up?” he replied smiling politely at me.
“Well… I have no clue where to go.”
“Oh, okay,” he laughed. He had a white smile and messy black hair. “This is the prefect car, so if you turn around I’ll bring you over to where my brother and sister and their friends are. They won’t mind you sitting with them.”
“Okay, thanks,” I smiled.

“So, what’s your name?” he asked trying to make conversation as we traveled down the long corridors of the train.
“Lena.”
“Lena? He asked sounding confused. “What year?”
“Fifth,” I replied.
“What house?” I gulped. I really didn’t want to give away my identity, but it had to happen eventually, right?
“I-I don’t know.” The boy stopped short.
“You’re the girl from America?” he asked. I felt my cheeks grow red.
“Yes.”
“I knew it!” he exclaimed smiling at me. “My name’s James.”
“Nice to meet you,” I smiled solemnly thinking of my brother James.
“Have you met anyone else yet?”
“No, you would be the first.”
“Awesome! My brother and sister are going to enjoy meeting you! I think Albus is in the same grade as you. You said you are going into fifth year right?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah! You two are the same age! I can’t wait to tell him!” he laughed.
“Um… Isn’t Albus the name of the headmaster?” I asked confused.
“Oh! Yeah, my parents named him after Dumbledore.”
“That’s cool. In the Muggle books, Harry Potter and Ginny name one of their kids Albus in the Epilogue!”
“Funny you should mention them…” James said not finishing his sentence as he pulled back the door to a compartment. Immediately all of the talking stopped.

For a moment we kind of all just stared at eachother but then, a girl who looked a lot like a another boy in the compartment spoke up and said,

“You’re the girl from America,” she sounded totally confident in her observation.
“Yes, I am,” I smiled nervously. This girl seemed extremely smart, and it scared me.

“You guys wouldn’t mind if she sat with you, right?” James said looking at her sharply.
“No, of course not! Come in and have a seat. You can sit next to Albus.” She said pointing to a boy across from her who also had messy black hair. I saw him blush slightly as everyone’s eyes fell on him.

“Albus, make our new friend welcome here! Talk to her!” James said in a teasing voice.
“Oh stop it, James! I’ll tell your mother you’ve been bullying Albus again,” she said sticking up for her friend. I saw James turn a slightly paler shade before nodding goodbye and closing the compartment door.

The moment that followed was awkward. We kind of all just stared at eachother again.

“Let me introduce you to everyone,” the girl said breaking the tension.
“I’m Rose and that’s Albus,” she said holding out her hand. I shook it and turned to Albus and shook his hand as well.
“Over there is Lily and Hugo. Lily’s Albus and James’s sister, and Hugo is my brother.” They both waved.
“I can see the resemblance!” I told them.
“And lastly, we have Chara, Mira, Electra, Chase, and Connor.” They all waved at me and I smiled back.

“Thank you for letting me sit with you guys. It means a lot to me.”
“It’s nothing,” Rose said courtly. Somehow I felt like she wasn’t too keen on me being here.

“So...what Houses are you guys in?”

“We have all four Houses here,” Rose replied.
“Oh! That’s so cool! Who’s in what?”

“Hugo, Lily, Mira, and I are in Gryffindor; Chara, and Chase are in Hufflepuff; Connor and Electra are in Ravenclaw; and Albus is in Slytherin.”
“Wow that is awesome!” I was amazed. My brain was buzzing with excitement as I wondered what house I would be sorted into.

“You wouldn’t mind if I asked you guys more questions, right?”
“No, ask away.”
And so I began to ask questions about everything. I was just dying to get to know everything about Hogwarts and the people that went to it!

“So are you guys pure-blood or, um.. .what’s the term again?” I blushed.
“Muggle-born?” Rose said.
“Yes, yes that’s what I meant.”
“Albus, Hugo, James, Lily, and I are all half-blood.”
“They said I had a little bit of magic in my blood. I guess it’s from my mom’s side. She’s British,” I explained.
“Maybe you would find out who when we get to Hogwarts?” Rose suggested.
“That’s a great idea! But,” my excitement faded, “I’m probably going to be loaded down with school work. I mean, I’m new to all of this. I’m probably not going to be any good at anything-“
“Albus and I could help you,” Rose said. I looked over to Albus and he nodded and smiled the tiniest bit. I felt my jaw drop.
“Really?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Thank you so, so, so much! You have no idea how grateful I am!”
“It’s nothing.”

We continued to talk like that for the rest of the train ride. Rose seemed to warm up to me quite a bit and Albus seemed to relax more. I even had a conversation with a few of the others. I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. Even though in America I had friends, I always felt like there was a barrier stopping me from being myself. Here I was understood, welcomed, and liked for who I was. There was no need to hide anything because everyone was like me. Suddenly the train stopped.

Rose peered out the window and smiled. I got up and followed her to the window. Immediately butterflies came to my stomach.

“We’re here.”