Author's Note: This is just a sort of "test-chapter", and so it is very short. I have some good (I think) ideas of what could happen later on, but I want to see how people like this.
Disclaimer: In no way, shape, or form do I own anything from Harry Potter.
September 1, King's Cross Station, London, 10:50 AM
A tall girl stepped out of a cab, brushing her raven hair back from her face. She surveyed her surroundings and began to search through the pockets of her jeans for money to pay the driver. He was behind her, casting nervous glances at a large barn owl in a cage that he had just loaded onto a cart. The owl hooted impatiently. Passersby looked over in mild interest.
"Not yet, Tyto," the girl murmured softly. She didn't want to attract any more attention than she already had. Wordlessly, she handed the money over to the driver.
The short man, still wary of the owl, quickly got back into the cab, but not before shaking his head and muttering something about Americans.
The girl began to push her heavy cart over to the trains. She stopped in front of a brick wall between platforms nine and ten. After making sure that she was not being watched, she looked at her ticket and then at the wall.
"This must be it," she whispered to no one in particular. Her owl ruffled his feathers. With another glance around her, she pushed her way through the wall and emerged in a different world.
The Hogwarts Express was an impressive sight, especially to a girl who came from a place where trains were not the everyday means of transportation. The scarlet form towered above the crowd of people milling about on the platform. She could tell that these people were witches and wizards. They had that smell of magic that was comforting and familiar. She made her way towards the end of the train and left her cart in a line of others waiting to be loaded.
"Well, here we go, Tyto," she said to her barn owl. "Be good."
"Am I not always?" the owl replied, in a flowing, feathery-sounding voice.
"No, you're not, and don't say anything when there are this many people around," the girl whispered angrily. She turned and went to find a seat on the train.
A/N: Well? Even if you didn't like it, please tell me! I'll be waiting...