Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter characters or any other of J.K. Rowling's ideas.
Chapter One:
The Hogwarts Express
"Bye, Michael," said the little eleven year-old girl standing on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters with her two, older Muggle brothers. She released herself from the grasp of Michael, age twenty-four, and turned to the other, her senior by only one year. She clasped his face in her hands, kissed each of his cheeks, and cried, "Goodbye, Christopher!"
The three siblings embraced for a long time, but soon the warning whistle blew, forcing the trio to separate reluctantly. The brothers helped the young sister with her luggage, and when the train began to move, the little girl leaned out of a nearby window and called, "I'll write! I promise! And I'll use an owl!"
When they disappeared around the corner, she began to tug her trunk along the hall. It was quite heavy, and she was having a lot of difficulty.
With one, massive pull, she managed to move her things a whole foot, but she also managed to fall clumsily to her rump.
"Ouch!" she breathed.
"Hey! Do you need some help?"
She was right next to the door of a compartment containing only two boys. They looked to be about her age. The one who had spoken, a messy-haired boy with glasses, was wearing an expression of concern. The other boy, haughty and good-looking, surveyed the scene looking mildly interested.
"Er--yeah," she blushed, pale cheeks flushing to a mild rose color.
Together, the three youngsters (the good-looking boy had joined when she and the bespectacled boy were having trouble heaving the trunk into the luggage rack) wrestled her belongings safely out of the way. They all slumped into their seats, breathing slightly heavier, after their daunting task was finished.
"I'm James, by the way," panted the boy with glasses. "James Potter."
"Elizabeth Cavenhaugh," the little girl replied. She looked to the boy next to her expectantly. When he simply looked back at her with his steely eyes, she raised her eyebrows pointedly.
He chuckled and said, "Sirius Black."
Elizabeth smiled pleasantly at the two. "Very nice to meet you both," she beamed. "And thank you for the help."
"Yeah, no problem," said James.
"Sure," Sirius replied.
"So, are you two first years, as well?" Elizabeth asked, trying to strike up a conversation.
"Yeah," they answered simultaneously.
"Cool," she said. "Erm--"
"Cavenhaugh," Sirius mused. "That sounds like an old name. Are you from a wizarding family, then?"
"No," answered Elizabeth. "My brothers and I were really pleased to get the letter, though, and they let me pick out a couple extra books about the wizarding world, and everything. I can barely belive it's all real. It all seems just too good to be true!"
Sirius smirked a little at her enthusiasm.
She took his expression the wrong way, and blurted earnestly, "It is real, isn't it? Oh God, I couldn't bear the disappointment if--"
His laugh was a little bark-like, and it rang clear at her worry. "Don't worry," he comforted, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's real. No need to have a dragon egg."
Her eyes widened a bit at his strange expression, but she relaxed soon enough. James took the moment to ask, "How about you, Sirius?"
"Pureblood," Sirius answered, casually. "You?"
"Yeah," said James. "I'm Pureblood, as well."
Elizabeth groaned. "Oh, no! You two must know so much already! I'll never catch up!"
"Don't worry," James consoled. "You'll learn everything soon enough. We're not really all that far ahead of you."
"Yeah," Sirius added, "we're not allowed to use a wand, strictly speaking. Although..." he trailed off, smirk on his face.
James laughed. "Who's would you nick?"
"Mum's, the old bat."
"Nice one," James commented. "I always preferred my Dad's, myself."
"How many spells do you know, then?" Elizabeth pressed nervously.
Sirius let out his bark-like laugh again. "I didn't really use it for spells. I sort of just waved it and blew things up." He broke out laughing.
"Yeah, me too, mate," James admitted, joining Sirius in his roars of laughter.
Elizabeth looked apprehensive, but Sirius decided to indulge his new compartment pals in a few stories.
"One time...one time..." Sirius gasped, tears of laughter streaming from his eyes, "I shattered all the stemwear...the mirror...and split the diningroom table...all with one good shot..." They, now including Elizabeth, laughed harder as Sirus made a crude imitation of a deep-voiced male likely to be his father, "'Watch the stemwear!'"
By the time James and Sirius had recalled most of their favorite explosion stories, Elizabeth had forgotten all her worries. In fact, all three of them had forgotten any other emotion save for glee.
They were all clutching stitches in their sides and sighing off laughter when two newcomers entered their compartment.