September 1st, 1991
Aurora gawked, wide-eyed, at the sight before her. A scarlet steam engine shone in the mid-morning sun, waiting beside a platform packed to the brim with a wide array of people. She tried to take it all in, but any time she focused on one detail, another caught her eye: the way the steam curled as it poured from the train's stack, the multitude of owls swooping low overhead, families of all sorts in both robes and normal clothing bustling about, cats of every color weaving their ways through the crowd.
Above her head, a sign read Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock. Behind her, a wrought-iron archway read Platform Nine and Three-Quarters directly where the once brick barrier had been. With the train's steam creating a mist-like effect, Aurora strangely felt as if she were dreaming.
Marius tightened his grip on his niece's shoulder, startling her from her daydreaming as he steered her out of the way of the oncoming crowds.
"Marius! Over here, old sport!"
Through the crowd Aurora could spot the stocky Amos Diggory waving madly, with Cedric, a whole head taller than him, waiting behind, already dressed in his Hogwarts uniform. Aurora glanced down at her sweater and jeans, feeling a little silly for not coming dressed, but she had been so worried about being the only first-year already in uniform, she had decided against it.
"Meant to be here sooner, but this one nearly forgot his brand-new broom. Had to rush back and get it, can't play proper Quidditch without one, you know." Amos clasped Marius' shoulder and nodded in greeting, shooting Aurora a quick wink.
"Hiya Rory." Cedric grinned down at her, taller and more handsome since she had last seen him. They hadn't been in-person together since she got her Hogwarts letter in January, and seemingly this last term in school, plus another full summer holiday spent at Quidditch training camp, had gotten him quite fit. His cheeks were flushed with excitement. "All right?"
"Yeah." Aurora grinned back, bobbing on the balls on her feet as another wave of excitement washed over her.
"Aurora is more than prepared," Marius replied, fingers digging deeper into Aurora's shoulder to quell her bouncing.
"No doubt she'll be joining Ced in Hufflepuff," Amos laughed, throwing an arm lopsidedly around his son's shoulder. This left him at what must've been an uncomfortable angle, making Aurora giggle into her hand. "He'll be sure to keep an eye on her. You can think of him like...a guide. A mentor! Her knight in shi -"
"Daaaad, enough," Cedric groaned, covering his face.
Amos wagged his finger at Cedric. "Well, I fully expect you to look out for the girl!"
"Thanks, Amos." Aurora grinned at him.
Amos beamed down at her and scooped her into a massive hug. She giggled as he spun her around, finally putting her down only after Marius coughed insistently a third time.
"I'm gonna miss you, chickadee. And you oughta get that cough checked out, my friend." Amos elbowed Marius jokingly, who rolled her eyes in reply. Then, he turned back to Cedric and Aurora. "You two look out for each other, okay? You whip him into shape, Aurora, or you write to me and I will. Got that?"
Aurora nodded, smiling at Cedric, who looked as if he wished the ground would swallow him up, his father already back to fussing over his uniform.
The rest of the conversation between Amos and Marius faded as her attention was drawn back to the delightful eccentricness of the station around her. They had gotten there rather early, with Marius and Amos both needed back at the Ministry, and their meeting point seemed to be a prime location to enjoy some people-watching. Aurora couldn't help but stare as all types of witches and wizards fought the quickly thickening crowds to say goodbye to their children, many of them already aboard the train and leaning from its windows. Two girls swooped by, arm-in-arm, their black and blonde hair pulled back into matching buns. As they passed, the raven-haired girl cackled at something the blonde had said, their heads pushed even closer together to continue talking over the roar of the platform. Farther down, an elegant woman with pale blonde hair was standing with an equally blonde boy, trying to fix his parted hair as he wriggled in her grip. A brunette boy walked behind an older woman with a towering bird perched on her hat, his shoulders sagged and his head down. It struck her at that moment how wonderful it was that many of these people would soon be her classmates.
"If you'll excuse us, Amos. I'd like to have a final word with my niece before we depart."
Amos gave Marius a pointed nod before taking Cedric by the arm and guiding him to his trunk. Marius turned to Aurora, addressing her directly for the first time since they had crossed onto the platform.
"And what are you to do once I am gone?"
Marius had been questioning Aurora all week, grilling her on his expectations for her and how she intended to find success upon her arrival at Hogwarts. Aurora had gone along with it - having been raised under his watchful eye, and his intentions growing more intense with her first signs of magical abilities, she was used to it - but she refused to let her uncle's pestering dull any of the excitement she felt. The faster he finished his final lecture, the faster he would leave, and the faster she could begin this brand new chapter of her life.
For the first time, Aurora would be setting out on her own.
"Remain with Cedric and prepare for my debut." Aurora met her uncle's eyes, cooly. Marius had insisted upon calling her arrival her 'debut', which made her feel like a royal. She had decided to embrace that feeling, and met Marius' eyes with the level of poise he expected. "And once I am sorted, I'll write to you."
"Properly sorted into Hufflepuff," Marius sniffed, his face puffed with pride. He narrowed his eyes, studying his niece.
"Into Hufflepuff," she agreed.
Every member of the Fawley family had been a Hufflepuff, a fact Aurora had been reminded of her entire life. Any moment Hogwarts was mentioned, even just for a mere moment, Marius made sure to emphasize how he expected Aurora to continue this great legacy. It was a lot of pressure for an eleven-year-old, but she had been trained to shoulder it, she imagined, since birth.
Marius nodded again, slower this time as if he was trying to determine any details he may have missed. Then, to Aurora's surprise, his permanently stern features softened, and he enveloped her in a hug.
"You are going to be brilliant."
Aurora was stunned. It was the first time, that she could recall at least, that her uncle had hugged her. He had always raised her with care, of course, but at an arm's length. It had never crossed Aurora's mind to be bothered. Despite her uncle's thirst for her success and the occasional cold moment, she had been raised very well.
The hug ended quickly and Marius' face hardened again, as if it had never happened. He kept one hand on Aurora's shoulder, his eyes boring into hers. "You remember everything that's at stake?"
Aurora matched her uncle's intensity, trying to swallow any giddiness that threatened to bubble over. "I can do this, uncle. I swear I can."
With a final, definite nod, Marius let her go, moving back over to where Amos and Cedric were idling, trying (without much success) to look as if they hadn't been eavesdropping. Aurora pinched herself hard between her finger and thumb, trying to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It wasn't until Marius and Amos had apparated away to their pre-Ministry, celebratory breakfast did she let go, hugging herself tight.
She was finally heading to Hogwarts!
"Honestly, thought they'd never leave." Cedric approached with a grin, his shoulders relaxing without his father hovering over his shoulder. He eyed the quickly filling Hogwarts Express, his face scrunching up in thought. "One second, let me get your trunk on the train."
He picked up her trunk from the trolley with ease and disappeared down the platform, looking for a free space to store it. She and Marius, with the help of an extension charm, had filled her trunk with all of her required books, clothes, and supplies for Hogwarts after their trip to Diagon Alley earlier in the year. The only thing he had allowed her to access up until her departure day were her textbooks, in the hopes that Aurora would enter Hogwarts well ahead of the other first-years. Even with the extension charm, it still bulged with the amount of things she had packed, and Aurora hoped Cedric wouldn't have too hard of a time storing it.
"H-Have you seen a toad anywhere?"
Aurora jumped, startled out of her thoughts by the brunette boy she had seen with the bird-hatted woman earlier. He was round-faced and seemed almost too nervous to talk to her, his shoulders permanently hunching into himself.
"Sorry, seen what?"
"I think I lost my toad and I'm worried he's stuck on the platform. I don't want him to get squished. His name's Trevor and my Gran will be utterly miffed if I tell her I lost him...again," he mumbled. He spoke softly and wouldn't meet Aurora's eyes for more than a second at a time, focused instead on fidgeting with the hem of his sweater vest.
Aurora scanned the platform around her for any loose amphibians before shaking her head. "Sorry, haven't seen one." She tried to give him a reassuring smile. "But I'll be sure to keep an eye out for you."
The boy only sighed in response, turning away dejectedly, but Aurora caught his arm before he could disappear back into the crowd.
"I'm Aurora by the way."
He seemed shocked that she had stopped him to introduce herself, momentarily frozen at the sight of her outstretched hand.
"...Neville Longbottom." He shook her hand cautiously.
Aurora smiled. "Nice to meet you, Neville Longbottom. I'll be sure to be on the lookout for any runaway toads."
He half-smiled at this as if he couldn't decide if she was teasing him or not, before trudging back to the older woman waiting nearby.
"Knew you wouldn't have any trouble making friends." Cedric had returned, Aurora's trunk presumably tucked away somewhere safely. As if reading her mind he reassured her. "First-year belongings are taken care of when you arrive at the castle, no need to worry. Now, let's find -"
"OY CEDDY BOY!"
Two red-haired blurs tumbled into Cedric, nearly toppling him to the floor. Aurora stepped back, nearly tripping over her discarded trolley in an attempt to avoid the small skirmish unfolding in front of her.
"Fred, George, geroff me," Cedric wheezed, pushing at the two boys.
When the dust had settled, Cedric was standing, his yellow necktie askew, and flanked by a set of identical twins, both wearing the same blue-grey turtleneck. Nothing, as far as Aurora could discern, set one apart from the other
"Who's this, Ceddy?" the one on his left grinned at Aurora.
The one on his right propped his elbow on Cedric's shoulder, tilting his head to Aurora. "A little firstie fwiend?"
Cedric rolled his eyes, a small smile betraying his annoyance. "Twins, meet Aurora Rosier. Aurora, Fred and George Weasley." He took a moment to study each twin before correcting himself, pointing first to the one on his left, then his right, repeating. "George, Fred."
"Still getting us confused after all these years, Cedric?" the twin on his right, Fred, sighed, shaking his head. His twin did the same without missing a beat. "You're nearly as bad as our mother."
Cedric brushed Fred's elbow from his shoulder. "No need to get your names right when all you're doing is bashing bludgers at my head."
"Workplace acquaintances, that's all we are to you," the twin on his left, George, cried, clutching his heart in mock anguish. "I'm absolutely crushed."
Aurora laughed, and the twin's eyes glinted in appreciation for their audience of one.
"She's the one you told us about last year, yeah?" Fred asked Cedric, who nodded. He stuck his hand out, shaking Aurora's vigorously. "Fred, Weasley the good-looking twin."
"George Weasley," the other cut in, shaking Aurora's other hand at the same time with similar vigor. "The better-looking twin."
"Cedric's told us a lot about you."
"All good things, of course! Cedder's here had never spoken an ill word about anyone."
"Well, except that one time that Filch -"
"Knew I'd find you two here."
A new voice cut in. Another red-headed boy, this one wearing horn-rimmed glasses, approached the four, a stern look on his face as if he had smelled something rather unpleasant. He was shorter than the twins, but older, holding himself with an air of authority. A shiny badge with the letter P was pinned proudly to the front of his robes. He reminded Aurora of Marius almost immediately.
Aurora glanced around the train platform. It was still early - the train wasn't due to depart for at least another twenty more minutes - and the platform was still filled with students and parents alike, mingling and saying goodbyes and double-checking belongings. The older boy stood in front of them, tapping his foot impatiently. Aurora got the sense that he was wound a bit too tight for his own good.
"No time, up on the train, the lot of you." He shooed at his brothers, who only stared back as if he had been speaking Goblin. "Hurry now, Mum put me in charge and I've got to get back to the prefect's compartment before the -"
"Oh! A prefect you say?" Fred gasped in great surprise. He clutched at his twin, who looked equally as shocked. "Percy, my goodness, I had no idea."
"Now, now, Freddie, I think our darling brother has mentioned it before," George chimed in. "Maybe once -"
"Twice -"
"Every day -"
Every minute -"
"Never shutting up -"
Percy the Prefect groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose before he reboarded the train, not willing to fight was seemed to be an already losing battle. The twins bounded up the steps behind him, pausing to glance back at Aurora.
"We have a first year of our own!"
"Red hair, can't miss him!"
And with that, they ducked into the train.
"Are they always like that?" Aurora asked Cedric, the bustling platform now strangely quiet with Fred and George gone.
"No." He laughed tiredly. "Usually they're worse."
He turned to her with a smile. "Wanna head to a compartment? I'm sure my friend will love meeting you. It's true, I've told them all about you."
Aurora nodded, her head suddenly swimming as the nauseating part of nervousness washed over her. She had always imagined that she and Cedric would make the journey to Hogwarts together, but she had never considered that she would be the tag-along to his group of third-year friends. Suddenly it hit her that Cedric had so much more of a life at Hogwarts that she wasn't a part of.
Together they boarded the train, and Cedric led Aurora to a compartment near the front, chatting the entire time as he guided her through the chaos of students, old and new, as they situated themselves for the journey.
"Been sitting in this compartment since my first year, when Herbert and Malcolm found me. We've been best friends ever since - ah, here we go."
Cedric reached a compartment that, to Aurora, looked the same as the rest. He slid the door open and stepped inside.
"Aurora, meet everyone. Everyone, Aurora."
Already sitting in the compartment were three other students. The first was a short, muscular black boy, with dark dreads past his shoulders. He was arguing animatedly with the boy next to him, who was muscular as well and kept running his hands through his golden blonde hair. Across from them was a skinny girl with big grey eyes and light brown hair pulled into a bun, her legs pulled up so she could balance the book she was reading across her knees. At Cedric's arrival, they all glanced up, the blonde smiling widely up at him.
Cedric nodded his hellos and took a seat between the two boys, gesturing for Aurora to sit. Instead, she just stood in the compartment doorway, practically shaking with nerves, her palms suddenly very clammy. She wiped them on her jumper, hoping Cedric's friends weren't the handshake-types.
"Grab a seat, Rory, get comfy. This is Herbert Fleet -" The boy beside Cedric nodded gruffly. "Malcolm Preece -" The blonde shot her a salute. "And Heidi Macavoy." The girl half-waved, still mostly focused on what she was reading. "We all play Quidditch together for Hufflepuff."
"Nice to meet you all." Aurora's voice barely came out as a squeak, but Cedric's friends didn't seem to notice.
"Had to come all dressed and show us all up, didn't ya, Cedric?" Malcolm leaned over and ruffled Cedric's hair, his voice an Irish lilt. He was wearing a Muggle band shirt and ripped jeans.
"Easy enough, Preece," Cedric laughed, leaning over to swat at Malcolm's head. Malcolm tried to grab onto his wrist and quickly it became a full-on tussle.
"Oh, just kiss already." Heidi had barely looked up from her book, but she was smiling.
"Bugger off, Macavoy!" Malcolm flushed, his cheeks slightly pink. He leaned over and tried to snag the book off her knees, but she stuck her foot out, her reflexes surprisingly fast for how little it seemed she was paying attention.
"So, Aurora."
Aurora blinked, still frozen in the compartment doorway. Herbert's green eyes stared into hers and he leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees.
"You've known Cedric for long?"
"Y-Yeah." Aurora swallowed, her mouth dry. "Ever since I was a baby. I-I guess."
"You guess?" He smiled at her, leaning back. "Tell me, Aurora, what's the most embarrassing thing Cedric's ever done."
"Come off it, Herbie, leave her alone." Cedric rolled his eyes and looked at Aurora. He mouthed 'I'm sorry', shrugging in Herbert's direction.
Aurora's eyes went wide until Herbert's gaze. "I -"
The final boarding call whistle sounded, making Aurora jump.
"You know, actually, I think I might try and find that first-year the twins mentioned."
Cedric nodded, a shadow of disappointment washing over his face. But it was washed away quickly as he jumped up, giving her a bone-crushing hug.
"I'll be sure to find you after the Sorting Ceremony, Rory. Promise!"
"Thanks, Cedric." Aurora smiled at Cedric, hoping she looked braver than she felt. She looked down the corridor as if she were searching for a familiar face. "Bet he's around here somewhere. Gotta make friends in my own year after all! I think I see him, actually."
And with a final wave to the compartment, Aurora slid the door shut, thankful that the outside was frosted glass and that the third-years inside couldn't see her smile fall. She set out quickly to find a place for herself, ducking into the first empty compartment she could find. Finding the red-headed first-year could wait. First, she needed a moment to breathe.
After a few moments, the train gave a big lurch before it started to chug out of the station. Auror shifted so she could curl in her seat, forehead pressed to the cold glass of the window. She watched as the train pulled slowly from the platform, families crying and waving at the train. A small girl, again with unmissable red hair, ran to keep up with the train, half-laughing, half-crying. Once the train gathered too much speed she fell back, waving wildly. Aurora waved back until she was out of view, then slumped down in the plush seat, a wave of insecurity washing over her.
What if I do something wrong and nobody likes me? What if I can't make even a single friend? Will Cedric get sick of seeing me every day? And what if I'm not sorted into Hufflepuff? What would Uncle Marius say to me? Would he kick me out? Or worse, what if I'm not good enough to be Sorted at all? Maybe I'm not a powerful witch like Marius thinks I am. I'll be the first person to be laughed out of Hogwarts.
She glanced back out the window, dread sitting heavy in her stomach like she had eaten too many Bertie Botts beans. The train was moving quickly now, smoothly carrying them out of London. As the buildings got smaller and smaller and, eventually, melted into sprawling fields, Aurora felt her nerves lightening.
She was going to Hogwarts. She was determined not to let anything ruin this moment.
Without warning, the door of the compartment slid open and a young girl about Aurora's age entered. She was already dressed in her Hogwarts robes, carrying a stack of books that she had haphazardly tucked under her chin.
"Do you mind if I join you?" she asked, glancing meaningfully at the empty benches across from Aurora. Aurora shook her head and the girl sighed in relief. "Thanks. Too crowded everywhere else. And much too noisy."
Aurora sat up straighter as the girl gently placed her books on the bench, before sitting herself. She reached a hand out to Aurora, giving a slightly buck-toothed grin.
"I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger."
"Aurora Rosier."
The two shook hands, both grinning madly, secretly relieved to have found a new potential friend.
"First year at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, tossing her bushy hair back and pulling her legs up onto the bench so she could sit cross-legged.
"First year," Aurora agreed. She glanced at the books littering the space beside Hermione. She recognized most of the covers from her supply list, but a few were unfamiliar. "You too?"
"Yep! I've been doing lots of extra reading. It's all rather interesting stuff, you know. I just can't decide what I'm most excited about! I even picked up a few extra texts, in case I got bored." She held up a worn copy of Modern Magical History, her fingers lovingly playing with the frayed edges of the spine.
Aurora laughed. She too had wanted to pour over her books the very minute she could after their journey to Diagon Alley. Cedric had teased her in one of his letters, saying that soon she'd give anything to stop reading them once exams rolled around, but for now, they were just too interesting to leave alone.
"I think I'm looking forward to Charms the most." She thought of the wand in her trunk. Vinewood, 12 ½ inches with a dragon heartstring core, supply flexibility. She had tried out twelve other wands at Ollivander's, much to her uncle's dismay, before this one had chosen her. Aurora was excited to put it to good use. "Or Care of Magical Creatures. I've always wanted to be a magizoologist."
"I don't even know what to expect. Nobody in my family's magic at all," Hermione confessed. "It was such a surprise to get my letter, but I was so pleased, of course. Who wouldn't be, to find out they're a witch!"
"Nobody at all?"
"Not a drop." Hermione beamed proudly.
"That's amazing," Aurora gushed, leaning forward. She immediately found Hermione to be even more fascinating than before. "So if your family isn't magical ... then what do they do?"
Hermione's face flushed a soft pink. "They're dentists."
"Oh," Aurora hummed, not sure what it meant to 'tist' a 'den'; it was probably a sort of tending. She shrugged and grinned at Hermione. "Neat! Everyone in my family has been to Hogwarts already. I'm the last to go."
"Everyone?" Hermione breathed, disbelieving.
"Everyone," Aurora confirmed, before delving into her family's history. Hermione listened, enraptued, as Aurora described her Ministry-working and Quidditch-playing uncles and her aunt in New York. "Aunt Illeana's the youngest. She's been in New York for years now, writing a book all about Jacob Kowalski."
"I know that name!" Hermione rummaged through her stack of books before pulling out a dog-eared copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. She flipped to the acknowledgments, reading aloud: "'In honor of a close colleague and dear friend, J. Kowalski.'" She shut the book. "Wasn't he Newt Scamander's from in the States?"
Aurora flushed with pride as she pulled out her own copy of the book, the one item she had refused to pack away in her trunk, even more dog-eared and worn than Hermione's from endless midnight reads. "My aunt met his grandchildren. She sent me a copy, signed by Newt himself." She flipped to the inside cover, where the author's signature had been scrawled, a note of encouragement added from the Magizoologist himself. "Best birthday present ever!"
Hermione's eyes had gone as big as saucers and soon enough, the girls were deep in conversation about everything under the sun. Hermione told Aurora all about her non-magical life while Aurora filled in any questions Hermione may have had about the wizarding world.
The two had just gotten to debating the importance of the Hogwarts housing sorting system when a knock sounded on their compartment door. By this time, any houses outside the window had long since disappeared and had been replaced by lush fields, a shadowed woodland looming on the horizon. The round-face boy from the platform - Neville, Aurora reminded herself - stepped inside, nearly in tears.
"Sorry," he mumbled, head down, "but have either of you seen a toad at all?"
When he caught sight of Aurora he flushed bright red, moving to back his way out of the compartment. "S-Sorry, I've already asked."
"I'm sure he'll turn up soon, Neville," Aurora offered sadly as Hermione glanced around the seat cushions and under her pile of books. Unfortunately for him, the girl's compartment had been frog-free. He nodded, choking back a sob, and made a move to leave them alone.
"Want help looking for it?" Hermione asked, freezing the boy in surprise.
"You'll...come look...with me?"
Hermione stood up excitedly and Aurora joined her.
"Why not?" She grinned at Neville, who was still looking at the girls as if they were playing a prank on him. "Seems fun."
"Besides," Aurora added, bumping Neville playfully with her shoulder. "That's what new friends are for."
Searching the train was not as fun as they had expected it to be. Most compartments they stopped in gave them an annoyed 'no' before closing the door in their faces. At least a few had the courtesy to offer up sheepish shrugs.
As they walked, Aurora made sure to introduce Hermione to Neville, who had nearly tripped over the empty passing candy trolley in his rush to shake her hand. The girls continued their discussion of Hogwarts, now with Neville chiming in with his own experiences. He was a pureblooded wizard, like Aurora, but his family hadn't been too sure he was magical until his uncle accidentally dropped him from a window when he was eight years old.
"Oh, Neville, that's awful!" Hermione gasped as he told them, her eyes wide. Neville shrugged.
"S'alright." He didn't meet their eyes. "I was magical after all. Ended up bouncing into the garden. And besides -" His eyes lit up. "Gran's let me take it over now, so it's all mine to plant whatever I want. Before I left I even got -"
And he was off, the nervousness melting away as he described his little garden at home.
Despite the unhelpfulness of most of the compartments they visited, Hermione powered on. She opened what felt like the hundredth door, Aurora and Neville leaning in on either side to glance around. Inside were two boys surrounded by sweets. The first to look up was a redhead with a fat rat on his lap, his mouth crammed with Licorice Wands. Across from him was a boy with glasses, idly flipping a Wizarding Card in his hands.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." Aurora could hear the irritation in Hermione's voice from asking the same question over and over again, and the red-haired boy wrinkled his nose at her tone.
"We've already told him we haven't seen it."
"Sorry," Neville whispered, his eyes downcast again.
"We must be going in circles," Aurora muttered, glancing down the corridor to see if she could spot any recognizable features, but, unfortunately for them, each train car looked nearly identical. The boy shrugged, poking the gray rat that snoozed on his lap with his wand, not at all surprised when the rat didn't bother to react. "Thanks anyway, we'll try -"
"Oh, are you doing magic?" Hermione must have noticed the boy's wand too. "Let's see it then."
She took a seat across from the boy and patted the space next to her. Aurora followed, deciding to ignore the taken-aback look that was stuck to the red-head's face. Neville remained in the doorway, scuffing his shoe against the carpet.
The boy fiddled with his wand, which had a bit of silver sticking out from the tip of it. He glanced from it to Hermione, then back again.
"Er - all right."
He cleared his throat.
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,
Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
He waved his wand, but nothing happened. The rat remained gray and fast asleep.
"Are you sure that's a real spell?" asked Hermione, her forehead scrunched in confusion. She continued before the boy could respond. "Well, if it is, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked out well for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard - not that I've heard very much else. I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it'll be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, and who are you?"
Hermione brushed her bushy hair over her shoulder and held out her hand to shake. She had said this all rather fast and without taking a breath.
The boys shared a stunned look before answering.
"I'm Ron Weasley," the redhead muttered, eying Hermione's hand as if it was covered in troll snot.
"Harry Potter," said the boy with glasses.
"Are you really?" asked Hermione. Aurora's jaw dropped involuntarily, gobsmacked, and Neville let out a squeak from the door, his face suddenly pale as a ghost. "I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."
Aurora nodded as Hermione spoke, stunned to silence. When she had found her uncle's stash of information about the Wizarding War, Aurora had found clippings referring to Harry Potter, or as The Daily Prophet called him, 'The Boy Who Lived', and how he had brought down He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as a baby. It had always given her chills whenever she thought about it, and now here he was, sitting right in front of her.
"Am I?" asked Harry, his eyes widening.
"Goodness, you didn't know? I'd have found out everything I could if I was you," said Hermione.
"You're like a legend," Aurora added, nearly in a whisper. Harry blinked at her in shock and she could hardly believe that the scrawny, eleven-year-old in front of her was the Harry Potter. But the lightning scar peeking out from his bangs confirmed it. She wondered if her uncle knew he was starting Hogwarts this year too.
Before Harry could say anything else, Hermione barrelled on, changing the topic completely.
"Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been reading plenty and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad..." She paused, glancing over to where Neville was still waiting for her in the doorway, and stood. "Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. Aurora, are you staying?"
Aurora nodded and Hermione sighed, eying the boys again. "Well, alright. You all had better change, by the way, I expect we'll be there soon."
And with that she left, taking the still toadless Neville with her. Aurora chose to stay, as long as the two boys didn't kick her out, more intrigued with Harry Potter than with finding a slimy toad.
"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," grumbled Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk, crossing his arms. "Stupid spell - George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."
All at once Aurora put two and two together. She took in his fiery red hair, freckle-covered face, and lanky limbs, nearly smacking herself for being so dense. Her meeting with Hermione and Neville had completely erased all thoughts of finding the first-year brother from her mind. "You're the twin's brother?"
Ron's ears went bright red and Aurora knew she had somehow struck a nerve. She kept talking, hoping she could backpedal.
"They mentioned you when I was boarding, that's all! Suggested I find you. I was with Cedric- you don't know him, maybe you do, he's a Hufflepuff and a third year, and he's like my older brother so I guess I kinda know what it's like. Anyway, I was with Cedric and they told me to find you when I got on the train but I didn't find you, I found Hermione instead, and she -"
"What houses are your brothers in?" Harry jumped in over Aurora. She didn't know if it was because he could tell she was digging herself into a deeper hole, or if he was just annoyed with her rambling, but either way, she was thankful.
"Gryffindor," said Ron. His shoulders sank as gloom settled across his freckled features. "Mum and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not."
"My maternal family's been sorted into Hufflepuff for generations," Aurora chimed in. Ron gave her an odd look and she shrugged. "So I get it. Having to follow in their footsteps."
"Maternal family?" Ron thought for a second. "That's your, uh..."
"Mom's side."
"Right, yeah, mom's side. So, what about your dad's side? What houses were they?"
Aurora shrugged. "Dunno. I don't know anything about them." They sat in awkward silence for a minute before Aurora continued. "I don't know if my uncle would let me come home if I'm not a Hufflepuff. Maybe a Ravenclaw, but I doubt it. He really wants me to be a Hufflepuff."
"I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad." Ron wrinkled his nose. "But imagine if they put me in Slytherin."
"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back on the seat, still looking depressed.
Aurora picked at the plush lining of the seat. She honestly hadn't even considered the possibility of being sorted into another house. The concept felt foreign to her. Her family's Hufflepuff legacy ran so deep, and her uncle had been preparing her to continue it for so long, that she half-expected to enter Hogwarts and be guided directly into a sea of yellow and black. It felt impossible for her to be sorted anywhere else, but now she wondered, what would it feel like to venture outside of her uncle's expectations...?
"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off the rapidly approaching sorting.
"Huh, you 'spose so?" Ron held his rat close to his face, scrunching his nose in examination.
Harry nodded. "So, what do your older brothers do now that they've left Hogwarts?"
Aurora sat up, much more intrigued. It always interested her to hear what other wizards were doing after they graduated. Her maternal family had all chosen such interesting paths: Quidditch player, novelist, or even part-time experimental botanist like her deceased grandfather, Wynnstan. Both Marius and Amos worked in the Ministry, and Aurora crossed her heart that she would never ever work in a place as dull as the Ministry.
"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons," Ron started.
"Bloody brilliant," Aurora gasped, her eyes widening.
"And Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Speaking of, did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles - Aurora, you might've heard, someone tried to rob a high-security vault."
Aurora nodded SHe had heard Amos and Marius whispering about it through the fireplace.
Harry's eyes went wide. "Really? What happened to them?"
"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught."
"Which is bloody amazing," Aurora added. "Gringotts is so well-protected. My uncle took me when we got my supplies from Diagon Alley. He wouldn't let me see my vault, but there were so many guards just in the lobby, someone would have to be crazy to try."
"Exactly!" Ron exclaimed. "See, my dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd." He shrugged. "'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."
Aurora tugged anxiously at the sleeves of her jumper. She, like every other man, woman, and child in the wizarding world, had grown up with a fear of the Dark Lord returning. However, unlike other families, who had gone through the pains together, Aurora had developed her fear alone, without an adult to talk her down. When she had asked Marius about the war and You-Know-Who, he had answered in such absolute and factual detail, that her imagination had run wild.
"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked, changing the subject.
"Puddlemere United," Aurora answered immediately.
"Oh come off it, you're not a fan of those puddle-heads," Ron groaned. "Have some taste, would ya?"
"Puddle-heads?!" Aurora screeched, laughing. "I've got good taste! Let me guess, you're a Tornados fan."
"I'd rather die." Ron looked aghast that she would even mention the Tutshill Tornados in his presence. "I proudly support the Chudley Cannons, and I will till I die."
"The Cannons?!" Aurora leaned forward.
"Er - I don't know any," Harry confessed.
"What!" Aurora and Ron whipped their heads to stare at Harry, utter disbelief in their eyes.
"Oh just you wait, it's the best game in the world -"
And they were off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, all mention of dark wizards completely forgotten. Ron described the famous games he'd been to with his brothers while Aurora managed to make them both jealous with the mention that her uncle Laurance was a world-famous Seeker.
"And that's why I'm Puddlemere United, born and bred." Aurora beamed. She glanced out the window, the once lush greenery now replaced with an inky darkness. "Oh, I'd better go find Hermione. We promised we'd head to the castle together."
Ron and Harry chorused their goodbyes before Ron dove back into describing his dream broomstick. Aurora slid out of the compartment, pulling the door shut behind her. She had barely taken a step when she collided head-first into another student.
"Watch it!" the figure hissed, stumbling back.
Aurora steadied herself and looked to see what she had run into. In front of her was a pale, blonde boy. She recognized him from the platform. His hair was slicked sharply back and he was looking at Aurora as if she had just flung a pile of dragon dung at him. Behind him were two thickset boys who looked to be extremely mean. On either side of him, arms crossed, they looked as if they were the blonde boy's bodyguards.
"Sorry, I wasn't looking." Aurora rubbed her forehead, which had collided with the boy's pointed chin.
"Obviously." He looked her up and down trying to decide if he recognized her, his lips curled into the beginnings of a sneer. "Whaddaya think boys? Another Muggleborn, no doubt."
Aurora blinked at the boy's directness.
"I'm Aurora Rosier." She squared her shoulders and extended her hand, as Marius had trained her to do in situations like this. When her name wasn't the thing that mattered, but instead, her blood status. "Pureblood."
The boy looked almost impressed. Inwardly, Aurora rolled her eyes.
"This is Crabbe and Goyle." He gestured half-heartedly to the boys behind him. "And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."
Aurora recognized the surname. Same with Fawley, Rosier, and Weasley, Malfoy was one of the twenty-eight names listed within the Pure-Blood Directory. Marius had had her read it from cover to cover, memorizing every name when she was younger, to engrain in her an understanding that, in certain instances, blood status is often considered to be more important than any other factor. Despite Marius being raised away from the 'pure is power' mindset, he still understood how the rest of the wizarding world functioned, and how important it was to have the awareness about what held power in certain circles. An old household title, the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' were strictly 'true pure-blooded' families, something that Aurora figured Draco was extremely proud of.
When their hands met to shake, a small shock zipped between their fingers. Aurora pulled back with a yelp while Draco grimaced.
"Stupid train carpets. Is it true Harry Potter's in there?" Draco craned his neck to look over Aurora's shoulder, shaking out his fingers.
"Yeah," Aurora answered, holding her tingling fingers to her lips. "It's him and Ron Weasley."
Draco scoffed, still trying to peer around Aurora and into the frosted glass. "My father told me all about the Weasleys. Pack of gits, the lot of them. Not worth our time."
Aurora noticed Draco's emphasis on 'our', but she couldn't tell if he was referring to her or Harry. She didn't get a chance to ask before Drao refocused on her.
"Some wizarding families are better than others. You know that already, don't you, Aurora." It wasn't a question, and Draco continued. "You can't go around making friends with the wrong sort on your first day. I can help you there."
One of the boys behind Draco - Crabbe? she wondered - let out a gruff snort, like a bull preparing to charge. Draco ignored him, still grinning at Aurora.
"I think you and I will be fast friends, Rosier."
Before she had a chance to reply he was squeezing past her to open the compartment door. Aurora barely got out of the way as the three of them entered, one of the heavy boys pulling the door shut behind them.
Aurora shook her head, her mind spinning new names and faces and information. Everyone she met seemed to be starting Hogwarts too, how would she ever be able to keep them all straight? She wandered down the corridor, dodging students of all ages as they raced back and forth.
"There you are!"
Hermione rushed out of the door that connected this train car to the next, her face flushed.
"Go and get your robes on, we're nearly there!" She was practically vibrating with excitement as she wove her way through the chaos. "I'll wait for you, then we'd better tell those boys. They're probably still just lounging about."
Aurora nodded, ducking into the nearest washroom and sliding her robes on. After her initial fitting with Madam Markin, Marius had stored them neatly away, insisting that Aurora had better leave them alone until her first day at Hogwarts. She had convinced herself that wearing them for the first time would be...well, for lack of a better word, magical.
She stepped back into the hall, where Hermione was warily watching a group of older boys pass around a rectangular box. Aurora grimaced as a long, hairy leg creeped out the top, much to the group's delight. The two girls made their way back to the boy's compartment, nearly getting trampled as a very flustered Draco emerged before them, Crabbe and Goyle in his wake. He didn't even offer Aurora a glance before the three disappeared into the depths of the train.
"What has been going on?" Hermione asked as she opened the compartment door.
Aurora peered over her shoulder, taking in the wrappers scattered across the floor and Ron, who was picking up his rat by the tail.
"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry, ignoring the girls in the doorway. Upon closer inspection, he seemed almost impressed. "No - I don't believe it - he's gone back to sleep."
"I'm guessing Draco was involved?" Aurora squeezed past Hermione and into the compartment. She picked up a half-smushed cauldron cake from the seat, which Harry nodded she could have.
"You know him?" Ron asked, suspiciously.
"I only met him when I left here earlier," said Aurora, taking a bite. "He was very excited to meet Harry Potter."
Harry sighed and explained all about his initial meeting with Draco in Diagon Alley.
"I've heard about his family," said Ron darkly. "Nasty, the lot of them. They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched, but my dad doesn't believe a lick of it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned abruptly to where Hermione was still standing in the doorway, listening. "Can we help you with something?"
Hermione bristled at Ron's tone and crossed her arms.
"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on," she huffed. "I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there." She eyed the scattered sweets and wrappers. "You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"
"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," replied Ron, scowling at her. "Would you both mind leaving us then, since we have to change so badly?"
"All right - I only wanted to come in here because people were behaving very childishly outside, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. She gave Ron a final narrowed gaze before she started to leave. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"
Hermione left with a toss of her bushy hair, and Aurora followed, giving Harry and Ron a final wave.
A voice echoed throughout the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. First years, please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Aurora pinched herself as she followed Hermione to the doors of their train car. A crowd was beginning to form, but Hermione grabbed Aurora's hand and managed to push herself closer to the doors, so they could be the first ones off.
The train slowed and finally wheezed to a jerky stop. The crowd surged forward, and the girls found themselves washed out onto a tiny, dark platform. Aurora rubbed her covered arms, still shivering under her robes in the chill of the early September air. Then, a lamp illuminated the dark, seemingly bobbing on its own over the heads of the students.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"
A giant of a man appeared holding the lamp. He towered over the first years that had gathered around him, his big, hairy face illuminated almost eerily under the lantern light.
"That's Hagrid, the Hogwarts groundskeeper," Hermione whispered to Aurora, her voice quivering.
"He's huge," Aurora whispered back, the groundkeeper's finger wagging like a summer sausage as he counted the heads of the first years around him.
"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. Hermione and Aurora never let go of each other, both out of nerves and excitement. It was getting harder and harder to see the path before them, with Hagrid's bobbing lantern acting as their only light source. Nobody spoke much. The only sounds came from Neville's sniffling once or twice; it seemed he hadn't found his toad on the train.
Aurora was getting more and more anxious with every step she took. She kept her focus on the ground, carefully trying to not slip and fall and, inevitably, drag Hermione down with her. She could barely register what Hagrid had said, but a loud 'Ooooh!", as well as a bone-crushing squeeze of her hand from Hermion, made her look up.
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its warmly lit windows sparkling in the starry sky was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. Aurora was speechless. It was Hogwarts. It was home.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called out, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Aurora and Hermione clambered into one, followed by two other first-years: a girl with two long, black braids, and a short boy with sandy hair.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat all to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"
At his call, the little fleet of boats moved off at once, gliding across the lake, which seemed as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle before them. It towered as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it was mounted.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as his guiding boat reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that expertly hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be directly underneath the castle until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambored out onto rocks and pebbles.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking each boat as they disembarked.
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. He lovingly tucked the toad into the pocket of his robes, making Hermione wrinkle her nose in displeasure.
"Good thing we didn't find it," Aurora whispered to Hermione.
"I wouldn't want to touch it; I bet it's slimy," Hermione whispered back. The girls smiled, trying not to laugh as Hagrid did a final head count.
Following Hagrid's lamp again, they clambered up a passageway in the rock, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the looming shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around a huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.