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Chaerin and her cousin Sora stared up at the gigantic train in astonishment, watching as smoke emitted from the chimney as their parents stood behind them. Today they would be starting their first year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Chaerin held her younger sister's hand, Cho wouldn't be attending the school until next year, the two of them being born a year apart, they were undoubtedly close and would do everything together.
The small Asian girl turned to face her mother, worry lacing her tone.
"Mother, what if the other children dislike me?" she asked hesitantly, causing her mother to softly smile. You see Chaerin was a half blood, her mother was a witch and her father was a muggle.
"Sweetie, if they don't like you then that is not your problem, if they can't see you aren't wonderful then they are not worth it. As I've told you before, your blood type does not matter," Mrs. Chang said to her daughter.
The dark brown haired girl nodded at her mother confidently, the Hogwarts Express whistled, signalling it was time to go. Chaerin hugged her mother and father, ruffled Cho's hair before turning to Sora, who was saying goodbye to her parents.
The two of them climbed onto the train, turning back one last time, huge smiles on their faces before looking for a compartment. Sora soon found an empty one and the pair sat down inside.
Sora was a very pretty young girl with magnificent raven coloured hair, her eyes a soft warm brown and she was slightly taller than Chae. On the other hand Chae's hair was dark brown, her eyes resembling a pool of dark chocolate which carried a hint of mischief.
"Look what I brought with me Sora," Chae whispered, grabbing her cousin's attention. Sora looked at her with her eyebrow raised but watched cautiously as the girl pulled out a small firework.
"Chae, please do not tell me that you're planning to use that on the train? We haven't even arrived at the school and you're already going to get yourself into trouble."
Chae laughed at Sora's response, Sora was older than her by a few months which caused her to act responsibly but that didn't mean she was against having fun, the two of them could be quite full of mayhem when Sora wasn't worried about getting into trouble.
"It will be fun Sora! I won't get caught, I just need you to keep the door open for me please?" Sora let out a sigh and nodded her head, smiling lightly as she watched Chae stand up and open the compartment door.
The girl walked a little further down from her shared compartment, it wasn't too far considering she'd have to make it back quickly. Chaerin crouched down, her hands clutching the firework as she delicately lit it alight, she smiled fondly as the firework whizzed off in front of her, she didn't stay to watch the colours and scurried back off to her compartment.
Sora high fived her as she walked through the door, the two of them sat calmly as they listened to the students gasping and shouting. Chae giggled as she put her wand away.
A little while later Chae and Sora had gotten changed into their robes, the two of them were discussing random things when their compartment door opened, causing them to turn their heads. In the doorway stood two identical red haired twins, grinning at them widely. The boys were very tall considering they were only eleven.
"Which one of you set the firework off then ay?" one of them asked, Chaerin looked at Sora in alarm, her eyes as wide as the moon. Had she been caught?
"We're first years too, don't worry we're not here to tell you off, we thought it was bloody brilliant!" the other said, causing Chae and Sora to smile.
"Mind if we sit? I'm Fred Weasley, this is George!" the boy now known as Fred spoke, the two girls nodded, letting them know they could sit with them, they were looking to make friends. The twins sat down, Fred next to chae and George next to Sora.
"I'm Chaerin Chang! I'm mostly called Chae though."
"Sora Song! It's nice to meet you!"
"We like to pull pranks too, we hope to have our own joke shop one day," George said, the girls nodding at them.
"You two seem like you'd be good at owning a shop," Sora responded, smiling kindly.
"What's it's name?" Fred asked as he stared down at the sleeping balinese kitten in Chae's lap, the kitten was grey with brown paws and ears.
"I named her Cleo! I think She's very pretty," the girl responded fondly, Fred nodded his head. "Did you guys get a pet? Sora got an owl!"
The two boys shook their heads. "Too much responsibility," George stated, causing the others to laugh.
"I named my owl Zeus, he's a tawny owl!" Sora stated proudly. "By the way, which house do you think you'll be placed in?" she questioned.
"Gryffindor, our entire family have been in Gryffindor, what about you?" Fred said in excitement, George agreeing with him.
"Hufflepuff I hope, my mother and father were in Hufflepuff," Sora responded.
"Chae? What house do you want to be in?" George questioned the girl.
"Well my mother was in Ravenclaw, I'd like to take after her."
"What about your father? Which house was he in?" George asked again, Sora smiled warmly at her cousin who was beginning to feel a bit shy.
"My father is a muggle," she said quietly, she wasn't ashamed that she was a half blood. But she'd heard terrible stories about some of the things people say about muggle borns and half bloods.
"Oh that's wicked! Our father loves muggles," Fred said, noticing the girl seemed to be a bit more timid about this information, he tried his hardest to make her feel comfortable because after all, he wanted to be her friend.
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The four of them waited in a line with the other first years, Chaerin was staring in awe as she looked around the great hall, trying to shake off the nerves of being sorted in front of the entire school. However, she was beginning to feel as if nothing was going to stop the ocean of anxiety in her stomach.
She reached out for her cousins hand, linking it with hers, Sora looked at the girl and tried to smile but she was just as nervous. The twins were stood behind them, they could easily see over their heads.
As the list of names began to be called out and Chae squeezed Sora's hand tighter as if she was holding on for dear life. Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on another student's head, waiting for the boy to be sorted, after his new house cheered she called another name.
"Sora Song!"
Sora let go of chae's hand and the girl let out a small whimper, scared to be on her own. Fred looked down at her in concern before whispering to her. "You know you could always hold my hand if you're scared?"
Chaerin blushed but grabbed his hand nonetheless as she watched her cousin being sorted.
"Miss Song, you remind me very much of your parents, your heart is brave but your soul is very much kind.... the answer is clear... HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted, the Hufflepuff table cheered and the girl hurried over to the table, finding herself seated next to another first year.
The boy turned to her and smiled kindly, holding his hand out for her to shake, Sora couldn't help but realise that the boy was incredibly cute as she shook his hand.
"I'm Cedric Diggory! Let's be friends!" he suggested kindly.
"I'm Sora Song! I'd love to be friends!"
Next the Wealsey twins were sorted, the two of them were both placed into Gryffindor with their older brothers. Chaerin stood alone nervously, she searched the hall for her cousin who was talking to Cedric.
"Chaerin Chang!" Professor McGonagall called, smiling softly at the girl.
"That's my cousin!" Sora whispered to Cedric as the two of them began to watch Chae being sorted, the Weasley twins were also watching in anticipation.
Chaerin sat down on the stool as McGonagall placed the hat on her head, it was very big on her and nearly covered her eyes, she jumped lightly as the sorting hat began to talk.
"Ah young Miss Chang... I've been waiting for you, your mother was the brightest witch to be known, one of hogwarts greatest... I'm sure you'll be the same," he started, the nerves began to flood throughout Chae's entire body and her hands began to sweat. She didn't dare look ahead of her.
"I see you have a hint of mischief in you, but you value knowledge, I can see the wisdom in your veins, a very smart girl indeed, you'll do best in RAVENCLAW!"
The hat shouted and McGonagall removed the hat from her head as she let out a sigh of relief, hurrying over to her table where her new house was waiting for her. The shy girl sat down, not speaking a word.
Sora frowned as she watched her cousin sit alone, her heart aching because she couldn't go over to her. Over at the Gryffindor table, George nudged Fred who was teasing Percy and nodded over to one of their new friends.
"Bloody hell she looks lonely," George spoke.
"Looks a bit sad too, hold on I have an idea," Fred said as George nodded in agreement, he watched as his twin quickly wrote a note before chucking it over at the ravenclaw girl.
Chae's eyes widened as something hit her, she picked up the note, reading what it said. 'You're pretty, but you'd look prettier if you smiled' she smiled down at the note, her eyes flickering up to look at the person who chucked the note at her.
Her eyes locked with Fred's and she giggled as Fred gave her a thumbs up. It was certain that from that moment onwards, the two of them would become the best of friends.