The Missing Marauder: A Harry Potter FanFiction

Prologue

"Goodbye, Mom," Rowan said for the thousandth time. Her mother wouldn't stop fussing over her, trying to straighten her hair or get the wrinkles out of her clothes. It seemed like everyone else's mother had already said goodbye and were waiting for the train to leave so they could chase it to the end of the platform and watch it disappear into the horizon. However, they all seemed to be witches, not normal. Her mother was normal, and normal mothers were insistent with their fussing.

"Oh, all right, baby," she said, kneeling down so she could look into her little girl's eyes, "You be careful... and don't talk to strangers."

"They're all strangers, Mom," Rowan reminded her, "All these people, I don't know any of them."

"Right, right," she muttered, "Well, I'm just trying to get used to this. I mean, my daughter is a witch, for crying out loud!"

"I got it, Mom," Rowan said exasperatedly, "Can I please go now? I don't want the train to leave without me!"

"Oh, fine. If you're so eager to go, then just go," her mother said, standing back up. She was a very short woman with dark, curly hair and pale blue eyes. "Get going, or the train will go without you!"

Rowan smiled at her mother and said, "Bye, Mom." Then she turned around and started toward the train. Just as she was at the steps, she dropped her bags, turned around, and ran at her mom. She jumped into her arms and squeezed so hard she herself was having some trouble breathing.

"I love you, honey," she whispered into her daughter's ear, "Don't you forget that. And don't forget to write!"

"Okay, but you can't freak out when you see a big, fat barn owl knocking on your window," Rowan said, her voice muffled by her mother's coat.

"Alright," her mother said, holding her daughter at arms length, "Go, or they really will leave without you."

Rowan nodded, her bright green eyes looking both sad and excited. At that, she turned and ran at the train, the sound of the warning whistle going off. She took her bags in one hand and let the conductor help her off the platform. Once safely on the train, she turned, waved at her mom and yelled, "Love you!"

She noticed that her mother, from far away, looked practically miserable. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she waved back at Rowan. Another woman walked over to her and offered her a handkerchief. She took it gratefully and they were suddenly in deep conversation.

Rowan turned around and went down the hallway, looking in at every cabin, but they were all full of kids talking and eating and joking, all of whom looked up at her as she passed by. Not a single cabin that way down the hall had any open seats, so eventually she hit the end and had to turn back and go the other way.

Unfortunately, the only empty cabin was also the only one with any seats available, and it was the last cabin at the end of the train.

Finally able to sit down, she stared out the window for a few minutes, in search of her mother. She was still talking to the woman, who had managed to calm her down a bit.

Smiling, she pulled the window down halfway and snatched a book out of her backpack; Hogwarts, A History by Chroniclus Punnet. Soon her nose was practically buried in the text.

Just as she felt the train start moving, a shadow moved over her. A little nervously, she looked up from the book at the figure looming over her.

It was a boy, around 11, like she was, with dark, untidy hair and pale grey eyes. He was sort of... flimsy. Rowan didn't know what she really expected of 11 year-old boys, but maybe she thought the other wizards would a little more...built.