Little Phoenix (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

5. The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

Nic was curled up in bed with her owl perched beside her, rubbing her finger over the silky feathers. "What should I call you?" Nic asked, making the owl close its eyes in pleasure as she stroked her on the head. "How's Sonata sound?" The owl hooted happily, beginning to peck at her finger playfully. Nicole let out a laugh, beginning to play with the bird.

The door softly opened, eluding the attention of the happy girl. Harry smiled as he saw his twin laughing at the silly bird flying just out of her reach. Shaking his head at her silliness, Harry shut the door, deciding to handle the Dursley's on his own. Nic had fought enough battles for him.
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"So," Nic drawled, turning away from Vernon's retreating back. "Now we just need to find the platform."

They stood in silence until a voice behind them muttered bitterly, "Packed with muggles, of course." They watched curiously, barely listening to their conversation as the children began disappearing one by one.

Pushing her trunk towards the woman, Nic led the way with Harry behind her before asking, "Excuse me, ma'am. Uh, we're new at Hogwarts and we don't know..."

"To get on the platform," Harry fished when Nic failed to finish her sentence.

"Not to worry," the woman replied with a kind smile. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it. Best to do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on now, before Ron." Sharing a look with Nic, Harry set himself to go. At a nod from his sister, Harry was streaking off towards the barrier. After he had gone, Nic went through the barrier as well.

She was unable to spot her brother and instead made her way on the train. She was struggling greatly with her trunk when a girl with rather fluffy hair grabbed onto the other end. "Thanks," Nic breathed after they had finally heaved the trunk on the train.

"No problem," she replied with a smile. "First year?"

"Yeah," Nic admitted, letting out a small laugh. "You?"

"Same," she chuckled. "I'm terribly excited to learn everything."

"I think it should be fun," Nic replied, agreeing. "What was your name?"

"Hermione Granger," she replied and they shook hands.

"Nic Du, uh, I mean Potter," she stuttered, still not used to the name change.

"Really?" Hermione exclaimed, her eyes widening to the size of saucers. "I've read about you."

"Really?" Nic replied, suddenly very interested in the cushioning of the seats in the train. "I didn't even know I was a Potter until a month ago," Nic admitted, taking a seat. The two settled in their compartment when a boy knocked on the door and pocked his head in.

"Yo, can we sit here?" he asked. Nic nodded before turning back to where she was digging for a book. The boy had small twists in his hair and tawny skin. His eyes where a deep, chocolate brown. Turning back to them all, she noticed another boy with him. He looked a lot like the first boy only his hair was in a frohawk. Otherwise they looked almost identical.

"I'm Nic," Nic greeted, shaking hands with the two boys.

The one with the twists replied, "I'm Tyriq, and this is my brother Tyrone."

"Nice to meet you both," Hermione replied with a smile. The train began to move as Nic settled in with her book. The two boys were amusing themselves by playing some kind of cheese game only out of the corner of her eye, Nic could see them moving on their own. She looked up a few times, but didn't ask. When the food trolley came, they all got something and shared the food they got.

"What are these?" Nic asked naively as she picked up a chocolate frog.

"Muggle-born?" Tyriq guessed.

"No," Nic countered, "I'm half-blooded, but I was raised by muggles."

"Well they're chocolate really," Tyriq explained, opening one up for her to see. "They've just been spelled to look like live frogs."

"Oh," Nic laughed, taking a bite of the candy. "Oh, man, that's good chocolate." Letting out a happy laugh, she asked, "So what house are you guys hoping to get into?"

"Well, our whole family has been in Hufflepuff," Tyrone explained. "So that wouldn't be bad. Wouldn't mind Ravenclaw either."

"I honestly don't know much about the different houses," Nic admitted. "I know my mum and dad were both in Gryffindor."

"Well the Gryffindors are supposedly the brave ones," Tyriq explained, "but honestly they wind up being more...idiotic and reckless. Ravenclaw are the smart ones. Hufflepuff are loyal, kind, and hardworking. They put others first. Then there's Slytherin." Here Tyrone rolled his eyes in annoyance. "They're cunning, manipulative, and there wasn't a single wizard that went bad that wasn't in Slytherin."

"Yikes," Nic winced. "Probably has something to do with the traits of the house. Sounds like you could've added power hungry to the description." Tyriq merely nodded with a small laugh before Nic leaned back and stared out the window to the countryside racing past her. About half an hour later, she got up. "I should go find my brother. I'll see you guys later?" Then she was out of the compartment, scanning along the other compartments for her twin. When she at last found him, their compartment was a complete mess with candy everywhere.

"Oh hey Nic," Harry greeted.

"What happened in here?" Nic exclaimed, her eyes scanning the mess.

"Nothing," Harry lied, not wanting Nic to worry. Besides, it was all over between him and Malfoy.

"Uh huh," Nic replied, clearly not believing him. "Well, I just wanted to make sure you're alive, so I'll see you later Harry." Once she was back in her compartment, Tyriq and Tyrone were mid-conversation.

Upon seeing her, Tyriq remarked, "Nic did you hear Harry Potter's on the train?"

"Oh?" she replied, trying not to laugh. "Uh, yeah I knew. He's, uh..."

"Hey, Nic!" Harry called, rushing towards her. "I just remembered, you forgot to get food for Sonata so here's some of mine you can give her."

"Oh, thanks Harry," Nic replied, taking the food from him. "Uh, this is Tyriq and Tyrone. Guys, this is my twin brother, Harry."

They played it cool until he left, but once he had, Tyriq exclaimed, "You didn't say you were a Potter."

Grinning slightly, she laughed, "Well technically you didn't ask." Nic stayed close to Tyriq and Tyrone as they made their way up to the castle. She was with the two of them and Hermione in the boats as they crossed. Curling into herself, Nic whispered, "Hogwarts, here I come."