Secret scars

Chapter one - Attack

The air was colder than past years on the first of September; the train whistle went off several times as kids rushed aboard the Hogwarts express.  Riley Austin had been sitting on the train for some time; she watched out the window, a smile crossed her scared face seeing first years rushing to the train in a panic. She sat alone in the compartment, it being her fourth year at Hogwarts she was set ready for anything to come.

“My gosh!” A familiarly voice called, stepping up to the doorway. Riley looked over meeting her good friend Amy Willow. “I don’t think I’ve seen this many first years….ever...” Amy said sitting down across from Riley; Amy wore the Hogwarts Ravenclaw uniform.  Riley simple smiled at her friend; Amy and she had been friends from first year. At that time Amy had been so shy she could barely stand having to sit in a chair and look at everyone. If anyone was going to tease Amy about anything it would be about what the sorting hat said:

“Good mind, very creative…Why you unlike others are not thinking of anything…Why you just want to get out of this chair. Would you wish me to hurry along? Oh but I can take all day sorting someone when I have no idea what they want, I mean…You are strong, and can be brave; but you are cunning and resourceful!” The hat paused as it looked through her mind, tears filled her eyes “Why, you are so scared to be in front of people, we shall put you out of your way, Ravenclaw!”

Amy had overcome talking in small groups, but she still couldn’t stand in front of a class. Amy starting talking about her great summer; Riley couldn’t help but be jealous, she had an older brother who raised her from sixteen on. Both her parents went to work in the wars by the time she was four. It was a huge blow when a letter came to them telling them that both parents had been killed; she was a year away from her going to Hogwarts. But at the time she hadn’t even the slightest knowing of it, but by the time her eleventh birthday came it was nice for her brother to have a life for a while. She went and stayed at with her brother every summer, but now Riley started feeling unwelcome because of her brother’s new girlfriend.

“Hello; Earth to Riley!” Amy called snapping her fingers several times in front of Riley’s face.

“Yeah, sorry--”

“Amy, why are you sitting with this Slytherin? I mean I’d be mad at you for sitting with any of them, but she’s an outcast in her own house.” Interrupted Eric Godwin also a Ravenclaw; both Amy and Riley met Eric in first year before being sorted Eric was nice to Riley but turned on her when her blood-states got out.

“Eric, mind your own bees-wax, you were nice to her! I don’t understand what difference it is what house she’s in; and anyways, because of her being an outcast in Slytherin we should at least give her somewhere she is accepted!” Amy was always fighting with Eric; they were so close, great friends but had some rough patches. Eric was nice to Riley most of the time, but he had to throw in some comment.

“Ouch, Amy you hurt Eric bad!” Laughed Edmund Shaw; Edmund was Eric’s best friend, they were always together only being separated by houses. Edmund was in Gryffindor which in Eric’s mind was where he was meant to be sorted into also. Amy just simple rolled her brown eyes; brushing her side bangs out of her face.

“If all you two came to do was be rude than you may as well go, anyways your met to be sitting not wondering the train.” Amy looked back and forth between Edmund and Eric waiting for one of them to say something but they just smiled at her; which only lead her to feel awkward and lose nerve.

Before either of the boys could say anything the train came to an abrupt stop. Students started glancing around wondering what was going on.  Amy thrown to her feet, glanced to the window to see how far they were to Hogwarts, but the window had frosted over too quickly.