Charmed

I ~ II

Chapter Two
The Hogwarts Express

    Gwendolyn stood frozen in front of the wall between platforms 9 and 10, as if it would move, and eat her up in one gulp. She could feel the beginning of a nervous bubble rising in her stomach, and her eyebrows furrowed in a quizzical look.

    Her parents were standing besides the cart: Mr. Curheart hushing Gwendolyn's cat -seeing as she had just awoken from her nap and was hissing uncontrollably- and Mrs. Curheart holding back tears.

    Gwendolyn rolled her eyes, and laughed lightly at her father. "Papa, she's a cat, not a baby." She giggled, scooping up the unusually small calico into her hands. Her fur was splotched with different shades of orange, black, and white, and her eyes were glowing a bright sapphire color that resembled Gwendolyn's in a peculiar way. "Come along Punkin." She mumbled softly, watching as the cat climbed up her arm and sat upon her shoulder. Edward Curheart simply sighed in annoyance, and turned back to his wife to comfort her, his belly bouncing as he did.

    The two were perhaps the strangest pair Gwendolyn had ever known. Her mother was slightly taller then her father, with a thin waist and narrow features, whereas Mr. Curheart was short, fat, and cheerful looking in every way possible. Like a Santa Clause without a beard.

    Sophia Curheart was crying dramatically as she waved her daughter onwards. "Go on dear, you can't be late." She murmured through her sobs. "We'll be right behind you."

   Gwendolyn only smiled brightly in response, even though she was silently fighting back her own tears, she was determined to look strong as she ran for the wall. Part of her waited for the impact -the proof that this was all just a dream- but luckily it never came, and when she opened her eyes, there was the train sitting before her. Steaming and puffing as it waited to take Gwen and the others to their year long home.

    It was a magnificent thing. Children Gwen's age and older, bustling about, throwing their bags into the carry-on cart and loading into cars of their own. A slight whimper escaped Gwendolyn's throat as she realized she had no one to sit with, and sulking slightly, she threw her bag into the cart.

    She exchanged quick hugs and simple goodbyes with her family, shedding a few tears before hopping onto the train and making her way down the vast isles of cabins. She searched for nearly fifteen minutes before finally settling down near the back, deciding that it was at least slightly empty.

    Only one girl sat inside, looking out the window sill. Her hair was short, black, and stiffly cut into a sharp line along her jaw, and as she moved her hand slightly, Gwendolyn took note of the engraved, silver bangle sitting around her wrist. She was drawing pictures on the fogged part of the glass, and when Gwendolyn walked in, she smiled at her with a nearly perfect grin.

    "Hi there, first year?" The girl asked happily, turning so that Gwen could see the blue Ravenclaw patch stuck to her cloak. Gwendolyn nodded in response to her question, and watched as the girl pulled her bag off the bench to make room for Gwendolyn's small figure. "Well then," she began. "you're welcome to sit here. I'm a second year myself. Ravenclaw." She said proudly, her smile brightening even further.

    "Oh, that's nice." Gwen mumbled shyly as she sat across from her. She had read all about the Hogwarts houses, and the people in them. Yet, out of all of them, she knew Ravenclaw the most. (Due to her mother's constant chattering about it)

    Hufflepuff -- her father's house -- definitely seemed like the friendliest, but Gwendolyn really wanted to be a Gryffindor, because she thought it was by far the coolest; however, as long as she wasn't in Slytherin, she figured she'd be just fine.