LANCASTER / H. POTTER

THREE

The chatter of excited students and the creaking and scraping of metal carts filled Copeland's ears. The plethora of sounds was strangely satisfying to her.

"Copeland, Copeland!" Penelope called out for her daughter, practically plowing down all the small children in her way with only a slightly apologetic smile.

Copeland kept her eyes on the emerald phone booth near the ninth platform, the magic entryway to the Ministry of Magic (a.k.a. the M.O.M.).  It was slowly retracting into the ground, sealing off entrance for the day.

Penelope shouted some more at Copeland but all she could understand was "Molly-"Find-"Sit"The Weasley's"Ron" and the words "I love you!" before her mother had disapparated into thin air.

The corner's of Copeland's mouth tugged down into a frown. Is this how it was going to be from now on? Her mother being whisked away to danger without so much of a proper goodbye?

She certainly hoped not.

"Oh, Copeland dear!" Molly Weasley's kindly voice rang out loud and clear in the sea of a ruckus that was Platform 9 and 3/4.

Copeland's head whipped around so fast, her glasses almost flew off of her face. The anxiety that she had pushed away was forcing itself back into her chest, making her feel heavyhearted and gloomy...yet at the same time she had the strong urge to jog up and down the platform 100 times without any breaks. Emotions are peculiar things, she thought before venturing back through the crowd to find her new redheaded companions. The twins stood bouncing up and down on the balls of their feet, obviously eager to get onto the train and see their friends.

By the time Copeland was approaching the Weasley's location, she had heard the last inklings of what must have been a lecture from Molly, to her three eldest boys.

"Keep an eye out for Ron, you hear? Don't let him do anything foolish. Please, look after Copeland as well. Poor dear has been growing up as a muggle for the last 12 years of her life, not to mention she won't have any family, friends or familiar faces to surround herself with. Treat her like family boys, because she practically is," Molly told them. Copeland sighed internally  at her unfortunate upraising as a "muggle minded witch".

"Of course Mother, but I can't stay long now," He stated. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves-"

"Oh, are you a prefect Percy?" said Twin #2, feigning surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on," said Twin #1. "I think I remember him saying something about it. Once..."

"Or twice-"

"A minute-"

"All Summer-"

"Oh,  shut up," Percy the Prefect snapped.

Copeland laughed to herself, announcing her presence to the group. Percy smiled warmly at her.

"Hello love, I'm Percy Weasley. I'm a Gryffindor Prefect this year so if you have any questions, be sure to ask me!"

The twins scoffed. Percy sent them a nasty glare before giving his Mom and younger sister a kiss on the cheek and departing towards the train.

"Have a good term dear!" His mother called out to him. He responded by waving at her, but he did not bother to turn his head.

He's lovely...Cocky, but lovely, Copeland thought, before she felt two elbows rest themselves on her shoulder.

"If you want "fun facts" about Godric Gryffindor and what he ate for breakfast every morning, ask Percy, by all means," One twin said, smirking.

"But, if you want to have some real fun, you've befriended the right people," The other twin said.