Eleanor Edwards was absolutely sure of four things.
One, never leave the house without chapstick.
Two, if ABBA is playing, you are dancing. No excuses.
Three, people who eat raw kale are the spawn of satan.
Four, there was so way her day could possibly get worse.
She was meant to apparate with her mother to Kings Cross Station by 10:15 am so she would have plenty of time to board the Hogwarts Express, find a seat and ride safely to her new school. Navigating the station was daunting enough with the fact that it was in a different country entirely. She was from the USA, and moving to a new continent for 9 months had been the major cause of Eleanors stress levels during the summer. It seemed to Eleanor that everything would have to go as planned, and she would start the new term with a proper send off. In hindsight, she should have remembered that life is a motherfucking bitch, and almost never ever goes your way.
"MOM!" Eleanor shouted up the stairs of her home. "I'm gonna be late, we have to go now!" It was currently 10:25, and Eleanor was beginning to question if she could teach herself to apparate in the next 30 seconds. Her mother, Sarah Edwards, had changed her outfit 3 times now, and if they didn't leave soon Eleanor thought she seriously might go insane. Sarah appeared at the top of the staircase with one arm in her coat and the handle of her purse in-between her teeth. She mumbled something along the lines of,
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Eleanor rolled her eyes and snatched the bag from Sarahs mouth, making sure to not cause any harm to her teeth, as they did not have time to deal with missing teeth or getting blood on either of their clothes.
"That is Chanel, you heathen," Her mother shoved her remaining arm into her coat sleeve and smoothed out her clothes before reclaiming the purse from her daughter.
"Do you want to go, or lecture me on my lack of fashion know-how?" Eleanor grabbed the tote bag that was sitting at her feet, and swung it over her shoulder. She inspected her things, the trunk, cat carrier, and the rest of the living room to make sure she had everything necessary for the school year.
"Pretty sure I've got it all, but I just know that the instant I sit down on the train I'm going to realize I've forgotten something."
"Then you can owl me tomorrow and I'll send it to you first thing." Sarah took hold of the trolley that they had 'borrowed' from the station, and held her free hand out to her stressed daughter. "It'll be alright, love. Let's get a move on." Eleanor stared at her mother for a moment with hesitation. The she exhaled sharply, rolled her shoulders back, laced her fingers into Sarahs, and the world flipped upside down.
...
Eleanor loved magic and being a witch, but she had always hated apparation. It took her years to stop throwing up every time she would arrive in a new place through magic. She and her mother popped into existence behind a pillar at Kings Cross station, and promptly began walking with the trolley as if they had been there the entire time. Whilst lounging a top the cart, Eleanors cat, Kevin, snorted in distaste, as much like his owner, the cat did not care much for apparating. As predicted, the train station was jam packed that morning. One thing that was actually working out for Eleanor. No one even batted an eye when the pair entered the stream of people rushing to their respective platforms.
"Alright, now which platform was it again?" Eleanor asked her mother while taking a look around.
"Nine and three quarters," Sarah replied, "That's what that McGonagall woman said at our last meeting. Kind of scary, she is." Eleanor hummed in agreement. Professor McGonagall was indeed intimidating, and radiated power everywhere she went. Eleanor had only met the woman a few times during her process of transferring to Hogwarts, but had already decided that she was a total badass.
"And I have to walk into the wall?" Sarah laughed at her daughters confusion.
"Right between platforms nine and ten. It will take us right to the platform," Eleanor shook her head in disbelief.
"You've got to be shitting me," She muttered.
"Language," Her mother said, pulling the trolley to the left to avoid a group of people that had stopped walking.
"Fuck off,"
"Don't get smart with me," Sarah replied, scanning the platform signs above their heads. Her eyes lit up as she spied the one she had been searching for. "There it is." Eleanor whipped her head in the direction that Sarah was referring to. So it was. The stone wall dividing platforms nine and ten. The pair hurried over the the wall and Eleanor inspected it with a withering gaze.
"Yeah, I don't care how good this school is, I am not running face first into solid bricks and breaking my damn nose." Sarah rolled her eyes.
"It's magic you idgit. You'll walk right through onto the platform." Her lips grew into a sly grin. "Unless you trip once you get there and then break your nose." Eleanor glared at her mother.
"I hate you," Sarah shrugged.
"I can live with that." Eleanor resumed her staring at the offending wall. Sarah nudged her daughters shoulder with her own. "It's gonna be fine, I promise. McGonagall brought me here a bit ago and showed me how it works." Eleanor closed her eyes and shook her hands in an effort to calm herself. She gripped the trolley handle and turned to her mother.
"Alright, lets do it," They waited until there was a break in the crowd before surging forward in a fast walk. The wall got closer and closer until Eleanor couldn't help but close her eyes right before she thought they would crash into it. But the crash never came. The air became significantly crisper and she could here the cheerful chatter of several people around her. She tentatively opened her eyes and gasped.
YOU ARE READING
Merlins Beard
Fanfiction"Why would you make me fall for you if you didn't plan on catching me"? A transfer student from Ilvermorny starts her fifth year at Hogwarts Not knowing that she ran away from one mess Just to fall into the deep end of another
