The Hufflepuff Artist (The Four Maidens of Hogwarts #2)

Prologue (1989 - First Year)

A/N - Just the prologue throwback nostalgia right now :'D The next update whenever that may be we'll pick off where we left off from the last book.  Feel free to vote/comment, thanks! :)

The train station was noisy, people shuffling everywhere to get to their destination, train wheels churning and whistles ringing through the air. Cait had a hard time concentrating on where she was going, but luckily her grandfather was with her.

A strange woman had come to their house one day. She had a letter with her from this place called Hogwarts. Cait wanted to say the news that she apparently had magic and was a wizard was shocking to her, but her grandfather took the news more dramatically than she did. His face looked like he nearly had a heart attack, but he soon calmed down with the help from that woman.

Her name was... Ms. Pamela Sprout? Petunia Sprout? Cait tried to remember.

Normally, she would say that deciding to suddenly go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was crazy, but all in all the unknown felt better than going back to the miserable school she was previously in. Her classmates would make fun of her because strange unexplainable things would happen when she was around. It was hard to relate to most of her peers too, since they all had parents and she didn't anymore.

That wasn't the worst part, though. There was one girl who had been nice to her. Cait thought she was cute and sweet. She took her hand one day and kissed it, saying she liked her. She didn't know the trouble she would cause. Her classmates found out, the girl's parents found out. Then all of a sudden she was being called a freak for kissing someone's hand, and the girl was transferred out.

Whatever she did wrong, Cait didn't understand.

After some time to discuss, her grandfather thought it would be best to leave the past behind her and take a leap of faith. Cait really hoped this was the best decision for her.

Now here she was, at King Cross Station. Her grandfather wanted to push her luggage, but he let her lead the way. She passed platforms 7 and 8, but she couldn't find any fractions.

"Um, excuse me, sir?" She called out to a man who looked like he worked at the train station. "Do you know where I can find Platform 9 ¾?"

She nearly jumped back when he gave a loud laugh. "Platform 9 ¾? You must be mental, girl."

Before she could protest, her grandfather took her hand and led her away. "No one talks to my granddaughter like that."

Cait yelped, but followed her grandfather. They had passed Platform 9, but still hadn't seen the sign she needed.

"It's been a while since I came here, but I thought they would have built a new platform." Her grandfather remarked, scratching his gray-haired head in confusion.

"Sorry for the trouble, grandpa." Cait muttered.

"No trouble. I just want to make sure you get on the train safely." Her grandfather waved his hand dismissively.

Cait stood alone by her luggage as her grandfather went a few meters down to look around for a sign they had missed. She could still see her grandfather, but at the moment she looked like a lost child with nowhere to go.

A boy around her age proceeded to roll his luggage past her. He had dark hair and was a bit taller than her. Cait accidentally made eye contact with his bright gray eyes. He blinked in a perplexed manner before Cait awkwardly offered a wave.

He stopped in his tracks. Two older people, a man and a woman, stopped with him.

"Hey!" The boy called over to her. "Are you lost?"