It's you and me, right? Bad Influence

Chapter 2

"Are you sure?" dad asked and caressed my cheek.

"I'm sure."

"Don't let the hinkypunks get you."

I sighed and hugged him in the inferno of people walking and running around us at Kings Cross station. Since my first year I always hugged him in the same way: my chin and all my weight on his shoulders. It felt like he really held me, like it was impossible that I would fall to the ground if my legs stopped working.

"I will miss you", I said and he hugged me even tighter.

"And I will miss you too. Go now. Have a good third year and say hi to Neville from me."

"Sure, I will"

We let each other go, and the people bumping into me made me walk backwards towards the platform.

"Remember to have fun!" he shouted, and I smiled at him, turned around and wobbled from side to side with my clumsy luggage towards nine and three quarters.

Just as I saw the brick wall that would take me to Hogwarts express someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around— but no one was there. I kept on walking and again, the same tapping. This time a man passed me and the moment I was ready to confront him someone grabbed my hand when it almost touched the man's jacket.

"What are you doing Zeller? Tapping people on the shoulders?"

The girl holding my wrist was a dark blond-haired girl named Megan Jones. Her smile was always a bit crooked, but in a nice way. Almost like her big cheeks pushed her smile that way, like the three of them: the smile and the two cheeks, couldn't fit so close together.

"God why did you do that? I almost told him off", I sighed, and she put her arm around my shoulders.

"Stop it, don't be so frightened all the time."

We kept on walking, me with the huge and heavy bags and her with a small backpack.

"I got it from my aunt. She's getting really good. I had to help her at the shop during the summer. So many people have heard of her brand since Rita Skeeter wrote that she uses her bags all the time. You should get one for next year."

"Yeah, maybe", I grumbled and took a new grip on one of my bags. "This is impossible without a trolley."

"Give me one", Megan said, took one of the trunks and pushed me in the back so I would take my first running steps into the brick wall.

My sight was a bit blurry, and I didn't even notice that she had come through, all I heard was her talking again.

"You know Abbott from Hufflepuff? She came and bought one, and– and the Patil sisters and even Neville's grandma bought one for him. The Weasley's came one day but they didn't buy anything. I talked to Ron for a bit but God he has a hard time talking. I almost thought smoke was going to come though his ears. He looked like a hot teapot! Oh– Shh! Here they come."

I looked towards the end of the train and there the Weasleys came, walking in a group looking for a good place to get on.

"They are miles away. Come on, we must find somewhere to sit."

While we walked, or more like stumbling forward with my bags, we looked through the windows, but no cabin was empty.

"I don't feel like sitting with first years, or anyone to be honest. I really need to sleep", she sighed.

I stopped and looked more closely into one of the cabins. A blond boy sat there and I tried to see who it was. It really looked like Neville Longbottom, a good friend of ours, my closest friend to be exact, but this boy was taller than I remembered him. He turned his head and yes, it was Neville.