Ink and Parchment ~ blood and bone

2

The 1st of Septemer arrived faster than she had expected. She had spent the last month buried in a mountain of textbooks and she devoured them as if she were starved. Eliza craved knowledge about this new world, her world, and she refused to appear sub-par. She had to prove herself to them all and not only that she had to prove herself to be better. Every good leader needed followers and that was the only way she was going to topple Dumbledore's crown.

She had read a lot more about the man over the past few weeks, his defeat of Grindelwald, his standing in the wizarding world. It seemed there wasn't one book on modern historic events that did not mention him and usually placed him in a golden light. But history was always written by the victors and Eliza refused to let herself be swayed by biased views and so she wandered back into the alley to try and find some 'alternative' reading material. She had resolved she would keep her mind open towards any and all magic she read about.

The weeks had disappeared quickly and so she had packed her trunk full of her new clothes and books and had placed a set of the uniform into her leather messenger bag. She would have to change into her uniform when she got there as there was no way she could be walking about muggle London in robes. She packed her last item, her old battered diary she had stolen from Camden Market. It was less of a diary and more of a place she had catalogued her magic experiments when she was younger. It was a bit redundant now but Eliza couldn't help but feel sentimentally attached.

And so with her heart light and a bounce in her step she had happily jumped into the taxi that would take her to Kings Cross station. To the start of her new life.

The Hogwarts express was truly a magnificent sight, the red steam engine gleamed in the afternoon sun and Eliza struggled to mask her excitement. If it weren't for the crowd of screeching children and mind field of blubbering parents Eliza might have even felt awed. As it were she quickly grew tired of the racket around her and ducked onto the train heaving her trunk behind her.

She pushed her way through the crowds until she found an empty compartment at the end of the train. Nodding to herself she dropped the trunk on the ground before pulling out her wand vine wood and phoenix feather (curious very curious the voice of Ollivander echoed in her head) concentrating on the feeling of her magic she flicked her wand in the direction of her trunk

"Wingardium Leviosa" she incanted clearly and didn't let her conviction waver until unsteadily the trunk lifted into the air, tilting about until she managed to clumsily land it in the overhead compartment.

Breathing a sigh of relief she placed her wand back in her pocket. The spells, at least the first year spells, came easy to her especially now she could use her wand. She supposed it was because of her exercising wandless magic all those years at the orphanage although she doubted she would remain ahead of her peers for long. She would just have to work harder.

"Well we were going to ask if you needed a helping hand"

"but it seems like you've got it covered"

Eliza whirled around quickly grabbing her wand inside her pocket as she studied the two boys in front of her.

A pair of red haired twins stood there, tall and gangly and a look of surprise on their faces. They all stood in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Eliza quirked an eyebrow.

"Are you going to introduce yourselves?" she questioned unimpressed by their gawking. The two immediately broke out into matching mischievous grins and began speaking

"I'm Forge"

"And I'm Gred"

"or am I George and are you Fred?"