1 : IMPERIO

CHAPTER 3: ENCOUNTERS

Word Count: 3102

Snape dropped her outside the King's Cross station.

"Now run between platforms nine and ten." Snape instructed, and Charlotte looked at him like he was mad. Before she could say anything though, he was gone.

Charlotte walked on the station and towards the platforms confused, and well a little irritated that Snape hadn't given her any more instructions. She thought it would be better to wait for someone who could actually show her what to do. There were only twenty minutes remaining, and she didn't want to miss the train on her official first year at Hogwarts.

Charlotte waited in front of the wall with her trunk contemplating the advice. She wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"Go on. The train leaves in twenty minutes." Said someone behind her, and Charlotte turned to look at three people. A couple and their son, who looked older than Charlotte, all three of them had toffee brown hair. Charlotte saw the boys' mother urging him towards the wall that stood between platforms nine and ten.

"Excuse me –" she squeaked out of excitement or embarrassment. The three heads turned to her, and Charlotte felt like shrinking in the place, but she had to talk, she had to meet people, she had to appear confident. "C-can you help me get on to the platform? I'm a little lost." She was sure her cheeks were red of embarrassment, as she looked down.

"Well of course –" said the boy's father. "– you see, walk straight through the wall there, between the two platforms." He pointed at the wall, and Charlotte nodded. "Ced, why don't you show her yeah?" he told the boy.

The boy gave Charlotte a smile, and nodded towards the wall to follow him. Charlotte gave a nod back and saw the boy run towards the wall. She expected him to crash, but he disappeared, or ran through it. Charlotte followed him, and found herself on a different platform.

There stood the Hogwarts express, and a smile took over her face. She saw the couple behind her and she turned to them. "Thank you very much sir." She said bending a little. The man laughed, and shook his head.

"It wasn't a problem darling." Said the women, and Charlotte gave her a bright smile.

"Amos Diggory" the man said placing his hand between them. Charlotte took it politely and shook it. "– and that's my son Cedric." The man said nodding behind her, and Charlotte turned to see the boy. She gave him a smile with a nod, and turned back to the couple.

"I'm Charlotte Crawford. Thank you again Mr. and Mrs. Diggory." She turned towards the boy, and smiled. "Cedric" The boy nodded back, and walked towards his mother. He hugged his parents, gave a last smile to Charlotte and walked towards the train.

Charlotte turned to the couple, and gave them a small smile. "It was very nice meeting you Mr. and Mrs. Diggory, and thank you again for your help."

"Take care darling." said Mrs. Diggory in a warm voice. "Have a good first year." She said and Charlotte walked towards the train. She settled herself in the only empty compartment, and sat near the window, after putting her trunk away.

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Charlotte sat thinking how she was going to convince the hat to put her in Ravenclaw and not in Slytherin. She was sure the sorting hat would suggest Slytherin, and it wasn't easy to change the hat's mind.

Her attention was brought back when the compartment door slid open, and she saw a boy her age standing there. He had messy raven black hair, round glasses and of course the lightning bolt scar on his forehead that stood out. He flattened his front hair covering it, trying to find words to say something.