Aurora Rosier & the Year of the Snake

September 1st, 1991

September 1st, 1991

Aurora gawked, wide-eyed, at the sight before her. A scarlet steam engine shone in the mid-morning sun, waiting beside a platform packed to the brim with a wide array of people. She tried to take it all in, but any time she focused on one detail, another caught her eye: the way the steam curled as it poured from the train's stack, the multitude of owls swooping low overhead, families of all sorts in both robes and normal clothing bustling about, cats of every color weaving their ways through the crowd.

Above her head, a sign read Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock. Behind her, a wrought-iron archway read Platform Nine and Three-Quarters directly where the once brick barrier had been. With the train's steam creating a mist-like effect, Aurora strangely felt as if she were dreaming.

Marius tightened his grip on his niece's shoulder, startling her from her daydreaming as he steered her out of the way of the oncoming crowds.

"Marius! Over here, old sport!"

Through the crowd Aurora could spot the stocky Amos Diggory waving madly, with Cedric, a whole head taller than him, waiting behind, already dressed in his Hogwarts uniform. Aurora glanced down at her sweater and jeans, feeling a little silly for not coming dressed, but she had been so worried about being the only first-year already in uniform, she had decided against it.

"Meant to be here sooner, but this one nearly forgot his brand-new broom. Had to rush back and get it, can't play proper Quidditch without one, you know." Amos clasped Marius' shoulder and nodded in greeting, shooting Aurora a quick wink.

"Hiya Rory." Cedric grinned down at her, taller and more handsome since she had last seen him. They hadn't been in-person together since she got her Hogwarts letter in January, and seemingly this last term in school, plus another full summer holiday spent at Quidditch training camp, had gotten him quite fit. His cheeks were flushed with excitement. "All right?"

"Yeah." Aurora grinned back, bobbing on the balls on her feet as another wave of excitement washed over her.

"Aurora is more than prepared," Marius replied, fingers digging deeper into Aurora's shoulder to quell her bouncing.

"No doubt she'll be joining Ced in Hufflepuff," Amos laughed, throwing an arm lopsidedly around his son's shoulder. This left him at what must've been an uncomfortable angle, making Aurora giggle into her hand. "He'll be sure to keep an eye on her. You can think of him like...a guide. A mentor! Her knight in shi -"

"Daaaad, enough," Cedric groaned, covering his face.

Amos wagged his finger at Cedric. "Well, I fully expect you to look out for the girl!"

"Thanks, Amos." Aurora grinned at him.

Amos beamed down at her and scooped her into a massive hug. She giggled as he spun her around, finally putting her down only after Marius coughed insistently a third time.

"I'm gonna miss you, chickadee. And you oughta get that cough checked out, my friend." Amos elbowed Marius jokingly, who rolled her eyes in reply. Then, he turned back to Cedric and Aurora. "You two look out for each other, okay? You whip him into shape, Aurora, or you write to me and I will. Got that?"

Aurora nodded, smiling at Cedric, who looked as if he wished the ground would swallow him up, his father already back to fussing over his uniform.

The rest of the conversation between Amos and Marius faded as her attention was drawn back to the delightful eccentricness of the station around her. They had gotten there rather early, with Marius and Amos both needed back at the Ministry, and their meeting point seemed to be a prime location to enjoy some people-watching. Aurora couldn't help but stare as all types of witches and wizards fought the quickly thickening crowds to say goodbye to their children, many of them already aboard the train and leaning from its windows. Two girls swooped by, arm-in-arm, their black and blonde hair pulled back into matching buns. As they passed, the raven-haired girl cackled at something the blonde had said, their heads pushed even closer together to continue talking over the roar of the platform. Farther down, an elegant woman with pale blonde hair was standing with an equally blonde boy, trying to fix his parted hair as he wriggled in her grip. A brunette boy walked behind an older woman with a towering bird perched on her hat, his shoulders sagged and his head down. It struck her at that moment how wonderful it was that many of these people would soon be her classmates.