There was a knock on the door of their compartment and a tearful looking, round faced boy came in. Copeland recalled passing him on the platform,
"Sorry," he murmured sorrowfully. "But have you seen a toad at all?"
When they all shook their heads, he wailed loudly, making Ron visibly cringe. "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"
"He'll turn up," said Harry.
"Don't fret," Copeland smiled encouragingly at the boy. "I'm sure you'll find him soon enough."
The boy sighed, dabbing his eyes with a hankerchief.
"Yes," said the boy miserably, "Well if you see him."
With that, he left.
"Don't know why he's so bothered, if I brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers so I can't talk," Ron said, gesturing to his sleeping grey rat that sat on the windowsill.
"I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him seem more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..."
He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered looking wand. It was cracked and chipped and something white was glinting at the end,
"Unicorn hair is nearly poking out. Anyways-"
He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open. The toadless boy was back again, but this time he had a girl intow. She was already dressed in her new Hogwarts robes. She had lots of bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she asked in a very loud, bossy voice.
"We've already told him we haven't see it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she kept glancing at the wand in his hand.
"Oh! Are you doing magic?" She asked excitedly, before plopping down next to him. "Let's see it, then."
Ron blinked several time at the girl before clearing his throat and beginning the incantation.
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow!"
He flicked his wand abruptly, but nothing happened to Scabbers.
"Are you sure that's a real spell?" asked the girl skeptically. "Well, it's not very good is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and its all worked for me-"
Copeland stopped listening and focused her eyes on the toadless boy again, Neville. He looked strangely familiar, until she realized it. There was a picture of him atop of her fireplace, next to pictures of her father, Alice and Frank Longbottom, and their Hogwarts diplomas, among other things. Why in the world was there a picture of him in her home? Copeland didn't dwell on it long, she couldn't. Before she knew it, she was being dragged away from the two boys, by the bossy girl.
"What are you doing with these two? Come on now, we will be arriving soon! Have to get you dressed!" She exclaimed.
Ron looked at Copeland sympathetically and that was the last thing she saw before the girl had successfully pulled her out of the compartment.
"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," Copeland heard Ron tell Harry, causing the girl to visibly deflate, but she perked right up again as she began going off on another tangent.
"I'm Hermione Granger, pleasure to meet you. I introduced myself earlier, but you seemed distracted," The Granger girl mused. Copeland nodded.
"Yes, I apologize for that. I'm Copeland Lancaster, and the pleasure is truly mine," Copeland replied, smiling sweetly. Hermione's eyes brightened.
"Lancaster?" Neville the toad boy asked incredulously.
"Oh! I've read all about your parents. The best Auror's ever, they say," Hermione informed her matter-of-factly.
Copeland's eyes widened. Her mom? Her spazzy, dainty mother? The best auror ever?
Well that was just nonsense.
Hermione abruptly spun on her heel to face Neville, who nearly crashed into her.
"Sorry we couldn't find your toad Neville Longbottom. But don't worry, he's bound to turn up! I'll make sure to sit with you on the boat to Hogwarts, Goodbye now!"
Before Hermione could pull Copeland into her compartment, Copeland called out for Neville. Now she knew why her mum had a picture of him sitting on her fireplace. He was the son of Alice and Frank Longbottom.
"Neville? You're a Longbottom?" She shouted. Neville smiled uneasily, scratching the back of his head.
"Yeah, I am. And you're a Lancaster?"
"Yeah, I am," Copeland replied, grinning at him. "Seem's to be fate don't you think, Neville?"
Neville nodded, before mouthing the words 'thank you', at her and stalking down the corridor.
Copeland closed the compartment curtains.
"You can dress, I won't peek," Hermione encouraged her, her nose in a large book.
Copeland unbuttoned her blouse and tugged it over her head, replacing it with a white dress shirt, and pulled on a black pleated skirt. She fastened her black tie easily, having had lots of practice from having to do it for Peter every morning. She slipped on a pair of new, black Oxford loafers and adorned herself in her new, flowy, black, Hogwart's robes.
Copeland was hoping she looked as elegant as she felt.
"Are you excited?" Copeland asked breathlessly, trying to make idle conversation.
Hermione shrugged in an attempt to look nonchalant, but the way her foot tapped against the wood floor was a clear give away. She was eager to get there, or nervous to start. Copeland could relate.
An echoing voice made over the announcement speaker made Copeland lose her train of thought.
"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Copeland's stomach lurched with nerves and Hermione, looked even more pale than she had before. Hermione shoved her book into her leather knapsack and stood to her feet.
"Best get going," She murmured uneasily.
Hermione stepped out of the compartment, Copeland on her heels. The corridor was packed with students, and Copeland found herself searching for Ron and Harry, though she wasn't surprised when she couldn't find them.
When the train finally slowed to a stop, people pushed their way towards the door and out onto the tiny, dark platform. It was freezing outside.
"C'mon, follow me-any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
Slipping and stumbling, they followed the man down a steep, narrow path. Everyone was silent for the most part, excluding Neville, who sniffled once or twice.
Then, there was a loud "Oooooh!"
The path had opened up onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a mighty mountain was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" The big man shouted, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water.
When Copeland had finally spotted her friends, it was too late. Their boat was already filled, and sailing gradually towards the middle of the black lake. She frowned, not welcoming the idea of sitting with strangers. Someone tapped her shoulder, causing Copeland to turn and come face to face with a pale boy with white blond hair. His grey eyes stared at her quizzically.
"What? Hmm? Are you going to just stand there and look at me or are you going to start following me to our boat?" He asked her with a smirk on his face. Before Copeland could even utter a word of response to the boy, she was being tugged along the watery path and onto a boat with him.
Copeland slumped down into her seat, brushing stray hairs out of her face, sputtering ungracefully.
"Draco Malfoy, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," said the Malfoy boy in an entitled voice. He held out his hand for a solid minute for a shake, before realizing Copeland was too preoccupied with getting the hair out of her eyes and mouth.
Copeland let out a sigh, and turned abruptly to shake his hand. "I'm sorry for that. Copeland Lancaster, and I believe the pleasure is mine," Copeland smiled, repeating the greeting for the 2nd time that day.
"Lancaster. I thought I recognized you."
"Why would you recognize me?" Copeland asked, scrunching her eyebrows together. Draco smirked at her.
"You and the Potter boy have been on the cover of every wizard newspaper in London for the past few weeks. Of course I would recognize you by now!" The boy snipped, as if the fact was common knowledge.
"Oh. Well, that's cool I guess," Copeland trailed off, imagining what the headlines of the newspaper would look like. Draco started speaking again before she could even form a coherent headline in her head.
"What house would you like to be sorted in?" Draco asked.
"Not sure yet. Haven't heard much about them. I'd like to be with some of my friends though."
"Since we are now friends, that means you would like to be in Slytherin with me then?"
"Um...yeah! Sure! Why not?"
"Marvelous," He hummed, before turning his head to look at the castle.
"Oy, you there! This your toad?" said the large man who was checking the boats ahead of them that had docked already.
"Trevor!" Neville cried blissfully, holding the glob of dark green to his chest.
Copeland thought she had heard Draco mutter something along the lines of 'Imbecile', but ignored it as she took his hand out to get out of the boat.
Snippy, but a gentleman, Copeland thought.
For the third time that day, Copeland was being tugged away against her will, but this time from Draco. She saw a blur of fiery red hair before she came face to face with Ron and Harry.
"Why were you with that rat?" Ron demanded, face flushed, his nose scrunched up in distaste.
"He's my friend. His name is Draco, not rat."
"Friend? Copeland, he's the most stuck up, rude, little prat I've ever had the misfortune to meet in my life! You can't be friends with a bloody Malfoy!"
"He was quite lovely to me, mind you! And I'm old enough to choose my friends, thank you very much!"
Copeland crossed her arms over her chest and turned her nose up. She was more than irritated with Ron. They had only met a few hours ago and he was already trying to tell her what to do! Draco seemed very nice, and she wanted as many friends as she could possibly grasp at this point.
"I think she's miffed with you," Harry whispered to Ron, and he was quite right.