Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter Five*

The summer came to a fast end but Kefira couldn't find herself complaining. For the remaining weeks, she had been all too curious about what awaited at Hogwarts. It seemed her family was just as curious as well.

All her sisters had looked through her books with her during the evenings and even her parents had taken it upon themselves to review over the subjects their daughter would be learning.

"Goodness, you're going to be gone for an awfully long time," Alana said holding her youngest close, the evening before they would be dropping her off at the platform.

"You're not going to cry...are you Mum?" Kefira asked with an uncomfortable face as her mother squeezed her tightly to her chest.

Her sisters chuckled from where they were in the living room, sitting around.

"No, I'm not going to cry, but I'm going to miss you. We all are going to miss you terribly."

"Eh, I don't know about that..." Cardel said from his armchair.

"Hey!" Kefira laughed before pulling away from her mother's hold and running over to her father's lap. "You are soo going to miss me."

"Of course I am," the man chuckled, " but I know you'll have a lot of fun, little lion. I only ask that you behave."

"When have I been known not to behave?" Kefira said.

"Where do we begin?" Rosemary laughed.

Kefira stuck her tongue out at her, before climbing up to the top of her father's chair and standing up.

"Kefi, get down from there!" Alana scolded her, but Kefira placed her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out.

"I'm not going to get in trouble...a lot. I'm going to learn how to be an amazing witch," she said proudly. Suddenly, as the recliner shifted she lost her balance and fell only to be grabbed by her father before she hit the floor.

"Why don't you just try and get you to the train in one piece  first, Kefi."

Standing beside her father, Kefira looked out to all the people that were all over the place at the station. She was supposed to board Platform Nine and Three-Quarters but as her parents quickly learned, there was no such platform in plain sight at least not to muggle view.

Kefira kept her eyes focused on people and watched as one person disappeared through a barrier but no one else seemed to notice.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed under her breath.

She turned to her parents.

"Do you remember what Professor Snape told you, Kefi?" Cardel asked lowering himself to her eye level.

She nodded. "I do. I just have to run right through."

Alana grimaced. "Oh, I don't like the sound of that! What if you get hurt?"

"I'll be okay, Mum." Kefira smiled at her.

"Don't worry Alana, she's hard headed enough to survive the blow." Cardel mused.

The father and daughter made funny faces at each other while Alana remained pale-faced and worried.

 "And I was told I would be able to write you guys regularly, so don't worry I won't disappear off the face of the earth."

"You better not, because I'll come looking for you right away," Cardel said.

She could definitely tell that they were going to miss her as both parents swarmed her with kisses and tight hugs.

"Okay, okay!" she said pulling away. "You guys are going to make me look lame in front of everybody." 

"You couldn't look lame, even if you tried Kefi." Cardel ruffled her hair.

She tried to flatten her hair but it seemed the more she touched her curls, they became bigger and poofier.

"There's not lipstick on my face is there?" 

"You're fine," Alana reassured her. "Now hurry along before you do miss the train because I'm not sure what we're supposed to do if that happens."

She turned towards the barrier and then back to her parents.

"I guess this is goodbye then?"

"Not goodbye, see you later," Cardel said as Alana's eyes began to water.

"Take care, sweets," Alana told her. "And if you need anything please let us know.

Kefira nodded and went to leave.

"And don't forget..." Cardel called after her. "Let them hear your mighty roar!"

"ROAR!" Kefira yelled out scaring a woman who screamed and then glared at the little girl.

"Kefi!" her parents said together but they only heard her laugh before she took a running start and disappeared.

The majestic sight of the large train came into Kefira's view as she plopped out on the other side of the barrier, unfortunately, it also led her to bump into two people.

"Hey!" two people replied together.

"Whoops sorry!" Kefira quickly apologized as she saw the two red headed twins staring at her.

The three stood in silence for a moment before one of the twins turned a red haired woman.

"Hey Mum, did you and Dad have another daughter and not tell us about it?"

The woman looked over and her eyes widened slightly at the new red head that appeared before her.

"Oh....sorry dear, you'll have to ignore them."

"It's okay," Kefira told her before returning her attention to the train as the woman scolded her children.

A man offered to help her get her trunk onto the train, and then practically lifted her up onto the train itself.

"I could do that by myself." she huffed irritated, she hated when people tried to help her due to her height.

Walking down the train, Kefira poked her head into several compartments, receiving strange looks from the students already occupying them.

She ignored the stares and continued on her way when something on the floor of the train caught her eye.

She crouched down and tilted her head in curiosity as a toad was planted before her. Thinking back to the toad she had seen back in Diagon Alley, Kefira wondered if it were the same toad.

"You're not following me...are you?"