Can't Stop the Rain

"Oh my God, Mum! Dad! You guys are gonna make me late for the train!" I yelled back to my parents as they tried to find a parking space. "The train leaves at exactly eleven! Come on, you guys! It's already five to! I will so kill you both and send you into oblivion if I miss this train!"
"All right, all right, Alexandra, no need to get all excited about," my dad said, winking to my mum while she winked back.
I knew that they were both really proud of me getting accepted at Hogwarts, despite the fact that neither of them were wizards. The only actual magical person in my family was my grandmother, on my mom's side.

After finding out that I had a witch for a grandmother, I was, needless to say, a little weirded out and thinking maybe it was time to send granny to a home. But then my mother and father stepped in and said it was a perfectly natural thing, that I should consider myself lucky to have witch blood. Apparently there was an ongoing prophecy in my family that every third generation would be a witch or wizard and that they would be sent to Hogwarts, where they had all gone. And, luckily enough, I was the next third generation. As soon as I found out, I bombarded my parents with questions, however seeing as they knew absolutely nothing; I had turned to my grandmother.
"Grandma, can you really cast spells and fly on a broom and stuff?"
"Yes, Alexandra dear, I can really 'cast spells and fly on a broom and stuff," she replied, laughing to herself.
My grandmother had always been different. I had always liked her best of all my grandparents. That's why this sort of all made sense, I had always known there was something about her. Now it clicked.

I thought back to when I was nine years old, and remembered playing with the neighbor's dog, Killer (a lovable rottweiler), and he had started snarling and chasing me around the yard. My parents and grandparents had been having a business dinner inside and had left me to my own devices. My grandmother had been sitting by the window and had seen me in distress and the next thing I remembered, Killer was in a tree. I relayed this memory to my grandmother and asked her if she had been responsible.
"Of course, darling! I wasn't going to just let that over-bred mutt ravage you to his heart's delight. I simply used a floating charm and sent him peacefully-" she sniggered at the word 'peacefully' being connecting with a floating rottweiler, "ahem, peacefully! Into the tree."

Returning to our present time, I saw the clock hand reach three minutes to eleven. The departing time was ominously approaching and I still had no idea how to get onto the platform, I pulled out my ticket and double-checked:

Hogwarts Express
Departing at: 11 o'clock
Platform 9

It still said the same thing it had said an hour ago. And just like an hour ago, I had no idea how to get on Platform 9 .

What the bloody hell kind of platform is that? Some hole between Platforms 9 and 10?!

I turned, once again, to my grandmother.
"Grandma, I just have one more question. How do I-" here I was cut off by my grandmother muttering.
"Of course, how could I be so silly? Silly muggles haven't a clue. Here dear. See that column right there? Yes that one. Walk into it and don't stop."
"Um, grandma?" Now I was really starting to think that granny needed to go to the loony bin. "That's a brick column. You know, solid? I would require tons of dynamite or something to blow that up."
"Oh no, dear, not like that. Here like...oh there's no time, the train leaves in one minute! Just, hold on."

And taking my hand, my grandmother started running like some maniac and pulling me toward the column, I was quite frightened and could tell that my parents were confused and a little scared because they had obviously never done it themselves and they had never seen it done. The column neared, not looking any more passable or liquid. I started freaking out as I drew closer and closer....closer....I braced for impact....wondering how many bones I would break....how many days I would be in a hospital...

Five feet...

Four feet...

Three feet...

Oh, God.

Two feet...

Here we go...

One foot...

"Nooooooo!" I screamed right before passing through the wall, feeling like I had just walked through fog, and came out on the other side.
I started laughing like an idiot, happy I hadn't died.

One minute.

My grandmother turned to me with tears in her eyes.
"Oh, Alexandra, I'm so proud of you."
"Well, grandma, you don't really have anything to be proud of," I said, stifling a laugh. "I guess I was just lucky enough to be born when I was born and that's all there is to it."
Laughing, my grandmother spoke.
"Oh I suppose you're right. Luck of the draw. That's all there is to it. But all the same, I know you will do great things. And pray that you are in Gryffindor. Our whole family has been in Gryffindor and it would be just...strange if you were in some other house."
The concept of 'houses' and 'Gryffindor' were new to me and I was hoping for a further explanation when I heard from somewhere behind me.
"Last call for the Hogwarts Express, departing at 11 o'clock!"
I looked at my grandmother's weathered face, filled with tears and hugged her goodbye. I saw that she was making an effort not to cry as not to upset me.
"It's okay. I know. I love you too," I said.

I handed my luggage to the porter and stepped onto the train, waving goodbye to my grandmother from the door. The train started moving, slowly at first, like a beast waking up from its winter sleep, huffing and heaving, and then slowly picking up speed. I continued watching my grandmother, she became an increasingly smaller speck until the train rounded the corner and I couldn't see her anymore. I stepped into the corridor and touched my cheek. I hadn't even noticed that I had been crying, I hoped to God that no one had seen me. But someone had...

A voice coming from behind spoke.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Shit," I mumbled to myself trying to recollect and wipe my tears before replying, without turning around. "Yeah, I'm fine thanks for asking."
"Oh really? Then why don't you turn around?"
This was a slightly different voice. Deeper in tone but similar to the first one. Desperate to do anything except turn around, I answered.
"Oh, umm...because...my shoes are stuck to the floor."
This was true; I had just noticed when the voices had asked. There was probably gum on the floor or something.
"Oh, sorry. That's one of our little tricks. Here we'll get that for you."
Then two boys circled around, took out their wands, pointed at my shoes and said in unison.
"Aristio Levat!"
I was relieved to find that I could now lift my foot off the floor. The two boys straightened up. It was no wonder that their voices were similar. They were twins. Red semi-long hair with lots of freckles. I distracted myself from looking at them when they both held out their hands.
"Hi. I'm Fred Weasley," said the one on the left.
"Hi. I'm George Weasley," said the one on the right.
"Oh, hi, Alexandra Evans," I replied nervously.
These two were the first people I was meeting and I wanted to leave a somewhat normal impression.
"Nice to meet you, Alexandra," they said.
"Hey, you want to come sit in our compartment?" said George.

I wasn't quite sure if I should accept but then thought, why not?

"Oh yeah, sure. That would be great thanks!"
I didn't conceal my happiness, a smile beaming across my face. I started walking with them as they talked to me, something about Weasley's Whizarding Wheezes.

The three of us arrived at a compartment a minute later. George pushed the door open and showed me inside into a seat and then he asked if I was hungry to which I replied,
"Actually yeah, I kind of am. I didn't have breakfast."
"No problem, I'll go grab you something," said George with a grin.
"Here I'll go with you," said Fred.
They had turned to leave when I called after them.
"George!" He doubled back into the compartment along with Fred. "Thanks."
He and Fred looked mischievously at each other.
"No problem," they said before they left.
"OH WOW YOU GUYS, THAT'S REALLY ORIGINAL!" shouted someone after them.
I turned around quickly to see who it was; I hadn't even realized that there was someone else in the compartment. Actually there wasn't a someone in the compartment with me, there were a whole lot of someone's in the compartment.

My eyes scanned the compartment. The comment seemed to have originated from a girl who looked very alike to Fred and George except that there was something else about her...probably because she was a girl. She was sitting in the corner by the window. Next to her was a girl with thick, bushy hair who was bundled over a bunch of books. Sitting across from the girl who had made the comment was a boy. He had jet black hair, brilliant green eyes and a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. He was gazing out the window at something. Next to him was another boy who also had red hair and freckles but did not have any other facial features like Fred and George and the girl. Sitting across from me was a boy with black hair, a shy face and a toad in his lap, he was asleep. He had apparently just recently entered the compartment for his luggage was at his feet instead of up in the storage bins like everyone else's.

After surveying everyone in the compartment, my eyes came to rest back on the girl who had emitted the comment.
"Excuse me, but what does that exactly mean?"
She turned to me, now observing her better; I saw that she had a fairly girl-next-door kind of quality about her.
"Oh no, just...never mind. They're always lying who is who whenever they meet someone new. It's fun for them because people get confused. Fred is really George and-"
"George is really Fred," I finished her sentence with a smirk.

How obvious.

Not like it mattered. I would get them back. The girl started.
"Oh sorry, hi, I'm Ginny Weasley, their sister. This girl next to me with HER NOSE ALWAYS IN A BOOK," she yelled these last few words in the girl's ears at which they both erupted into fits of laughter.
The girl with bushy hair spoke.
"Oh hello, sorry didn't see you there-"
Ginny cut her off in the middle of her sentence.
"Well how would you? What are you reading now, Hermione? Advanced Advanced Transfiguration Volume three hundred-twenty?"
Hermione looked over at Ginny, wrinkled her nose and smiled.
"What I'm reading is of no importance, Ginny, and it is in fact Advanced Ancient Runes Volume forty-four," she said with a smirk. "Hello, I'm Hermione Granger. It's nice to meet you."
Ginny cut back in and continued.
"The boy who's sleeping across from you is Neville Longbottom, he's very nice but awfully clumsy. The red-haired boy sitting next to him is my DOLT BROTHER WHO THINKS TOO HIGHLY OF HIMSELF TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF TO A BEAUTIFUL GIRL! Harry that goes for you too!"
At these words I blushed to an abominable shade of red. Ginny's 'dolt brother' turned to me, startled.
"Hi. Ron Weasley."
The introductions stopped there. I still didn't know the boy sitting in the corner gazing out the window.
"I'm sorry, but I still don't know who you are," I said, looking at him.
He, along with everyone else turned to me with a strange look on his face and quickly recovered.
"Harry Potter, nice to meet you."
"Alright everyone now that that's done, this is..." Ginny turned to me with a questioning look on her face before I realized that I still hadn't introduced myself.
"Oh sorry, hi everyone, I'm Alexandra Evans, it's nice to meet you all."

An unbreakable silence reigned over the compartment until I remembered.
"Oh my God, Ginny! I have to get back at Fred and George for tricking me. Does anyone know anything that could help me get back at them?"
"Actually, yeah. I know this brilliant hex that when they enter the compartment, their voices will disappear but the same second they step out they get their voices back. It's great. I used it on Seamus once and he was confused for hours, stepping in and out of our room. It was a riot!" said Ron.
Harry seemed to remember this event too for they both at the same time, it seemed, were picturing the event and they both broke out into laughter. I was delighted with the concept.
"Oh, Ron, that sounds excellent. Can you help me? Here, come here so you can be closer to the door when they come. Come sit next to me, we can share my seat."

Ron blushed and slowly and timidly got up and shuffled over to my seat and sat down. At first it seemed that he was trying to avoid all contact with me but as the minutes went by and I waited for Fred and George to come back, the compartment grew busy with conversation and Ron became more and more comfortable with the idea of sitting next to me and relaxed. Eventually, his leg accidentally touched mine. No one else had noticed but I just giggled and Ron blushed. Again no one noticed. Everyone else was absorbed in a conversation about something that had happened last year.
More time passed until I finally heard footsteps and voices in the hallways. I prodded Ron.
"Get ready! They're coming!"
Ron nodded and raised his wand as the compartment door opened.