November Snow

o n e

London, 1991.

If I think about it, I looked pretty much like a foolish little girl wandering in King's Cross Station trying to find the seem-to-be-imaginary platform 9 3/4. The security guard gave me the exact look I would give myself if I was nothing but a mere Muggle when I asked him. Big mistake.

They usually say it rarely snows in November, but it did once on the day I was born. That sums up how I got my name, November Avery. My mother was, how sad to use that word, Leah Avery. She died. Let's say, the fire at the Avery's mansion was very well known few months ago.

I started looking around for any clue. But well, platform 9 was next to platform 10, sadly no 9 3/4. I looked at the big clock on the wall. 10:45. I would be late if I didn't hurry, and not to mention my black cat was getting hungry and meowing all the way through the station.

"Need help?" Someone asked from behind me.

I turned around in relief to see a bushy brown haired girl grinning at me. I looked at her luggage: a ginger cat, loads of books and a big suitcase for clothes. She was another Hogwarts student. And judging by her way of talking and dressing, she must be a Gryffindor. Not that I hate Gryffindors, but most of the time we don't really get along. In terms of hating, I think I hate Hufflepuffs even more. (GUYS PLEASE I LOVE HUFFLEPUFFS, ONE OF MY BESTIES IS A HUFFLEPUFF. I'M JUST WRITING THIS FOR THE SAKE OF THE STORY #dont_hate)

"First year?" She asked.

I just nodded as a yes.

"I'm Hermione Granger, second year." She extended a hand and I grab it "Come on, I'll show you the way in."

She pushed her trolley and just went straight through the wall between platform 9 and 10, I watch with my mouth agape. How didn't I think of that? But then what if I went into the wrong wall? Awkward. Never mind.

I followed Hermione and as soon as I passed the wall, I was greeted by a great number of wizards flooding the station, some going to work and some joining Hogwarts, just like me. Hermione quickly came to my side and laughed at how I looked so surprised. I playfully punched her in the shoulder, then we pushed our trolley to the train where they helped us putting them in.

"Weird." Hermione said "They should be here by now."

"Who?" I asked her.

"Harry and Ron." Hermione said matter-of-factly until she realized I didn't know who she was talking about "Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, my friends in Gryffindor."

"Potter? The boy who lives?" I was surprised.

"Yes, that's him." She said "He's not quite as exceptional as we thought, but he's a great friend."

The train sounded its whistle, telling us it was time for us to board. Hermione sighed disappointedly as she couldn't find her two friends. I too looked for whoever with red hair since I knew how a Weasley looked like, and I had met a few Weasleys when we stood there waiting: Fred, George, Ginny, but no Ron.

"Come on, we have to go." I told her.

As she sighed once more looking at the wall connecting our station with the Muggle's, Hermione climbed on the train and I followed her. We walked around trying to find a compartment to sit in, and I tried my best to avoid the ones with too many Hufflepuffs. I was looking ahead and didn't really put my mind in where I was going besides the fact that I was following Hermione, so I didn't notice that a door of a compartment opened and someone walked out at the exactly same time as I walked by, we collided and stumbled back a bit.