The Girl Who Hid | ✓

|1| (first year)

Looking down at my checklist, I checked off the last two empty boxes and smiled at myself.

"Maisey, let's go! You're going to be late!" Lupin yelled.

"Coming!" I shouted and ran down the stairs to my trunk. "I'm so excited! I finally get to go to Hogwarts, ahh."

"Remember, stay safe and—"

" 'Always keep my head on straight', 'don't talk back'—"

" 'And most importantly, have fun'," we chorused.

"You're such a smart girl, just like your mother," he said sadly.

Whenever Lupin spoke about me or I tried to bring up my parents, he always got really sad. I couldn't quite understand why he never spoke about them; I haven't a clue what they actually looked like except that I am the exact replication of my mother with the exception of my father's eyes.

Stuffing my wand into my long sleeves, Lupin and I drove to King's Cross where the secret train to Hogwarts was at. My eyebrows furrowed at the sight of the place, it was a regular muggle station.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" I said, softly, looking around at all the muggles in funny clothes and with small briefcases.

"Yup, just past the Platform nine should be nine and three-quarters."

"If you stay so," I muttered.

The more we walked, the more I began to believe Lupin was stalling me. The platforms were spread far apart and we were barely at the fifth one when I looked up at the time; it was nearly fifteen to eleven. Pushing my trolley harder, I started to run with only fifteen minutes to spare.

Finally, Lupin and I raced through the platform to see a large scarlet train. People walked around in clothes similar to mine, but others walked around in black robes with the Hogwarts symbol on it. I gaped at all the people who had trolleys just like mine, filled with large trunks and owl cages— I didn't have an owl.

The whistle of the train blew loud and long letting out more steam.

"Well, this is goodbye," Lupin said.

"You promise to write me, right?" I turned to him.

"Of course, I wouldn't dream of forgetting," he smiled down on me.

"I'm going to miss you," I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on for dear life. I felt a kiss on the crown of my head and knew I had to let go of him. He was the only family I had left and would miss him dearly.

Reluctantly, I walked onto the train, dragging along my heavy trunk. All the compartments were full of people, some young, some older, but there were no empty ones. Anxiety started to work its way into my brain as the train started to move.

Looking through one of the cabin windows, I saw a girl with bushy brown hair talking with a round-faced boy. They looked nice. I knocked on the compartment door and slowly slid it opened.

"Hi, can I sit here please?" my voice soft and shaky. I tried not to seem shy, but it wasn't really working.

"Are you a first year as well?" the girl spoke up.

"Yes," I said softly.

"You can come sit with us," the boy beamed.

Pushing the door wider, I placed my trunk in the luggage slot as I sat down. The both of them spoke about how excited and nervous they were about our first year while I just listened intently. I learned that the girl's name was Hermione Granger and the boy's was Neville Longbottom.