I stood at Platform Nine, countless Muggles rushing past me so fast my bushy auburn hair was blown around. They really are interesting, Muggles. Acting so knowledgeable and observant, yet they have no clue whatsoever that a whole other world exists within their own. My beautiful tawny owl, Isis, hoots boredly in her cage, which is balanced on top of my school trunk. Clutching my ticket in my hand, I look around London Station, until a slight tug at the sleeve of my shirt captures my attention. Looking down at my elbow, I see my little brother, Hugo, his fiery red hair just as disheveled as ever.

"Rosie, where's the train? We only have eight minutes left!" Hugo's boyish voice sounds worried and nervous. I glance at the huge clock on the wall, telling the Londoners how long they had to catch their trains. He was right; the time read ten fifty-two, and the Hogwarts Express left at eleven sharp. Hogwarts was the wizarding school most magical folk in Britain went to. Both my parents went, and I'd be following in their footsteps soon. I looked for our parents and found them arguing gently, Mum's hands flying around a little.

"Mum!" I called, no response. "Hermione Weasley!" I tried, this time she turned her head right as Dad started speaking. He looked slightly annoyed, and I smiled at his expression.

"Yes, Rose?" Mum walked to me, her also bushy chestnut brown hair tied back into a half-up/half-down style. She had big, cozy brown eyes that were kind, but sometimes she gave you a look so stern you wouldn't dare disobey her. She had pale, clear skin, and was pretty tall. I looked down at my tickets, my lips slightly parted and my eyebrows furrowed in concentration (a trait from Mum) as I tried to make sense of my ticket.

"Well, it says Platform Nine and Three Quarters, and all I see is Nine and Ten. I can't figure out how to get in, though I'm sure it is possible." I explained, "They should've put it in Hogwarts: A History," I added in an undertone. I must've read that book three times and no mention of the way to get to Hogwarts was included. "Something must be charmed, like Diagon Alley."

Mum slapped her forehead and Dad chuckled at his usually on-top-of-things wife, his blue eyes twinkling. My dad, Ron Weasley, had given Hugo his brilliantly crimson hair, and me my blue eyes. He must have also been the reason for the red in my auburn hair. He was tall and freckly, like his children.

"Sorry, Rose, must've forgotten to tell you. You simply walk straight into the barrier dividing Nine and Ten. Watch your father, he'll show you." She took Hugo's hand and led him to the front of the barrier to watch.

Dad stepped forward, putting his arm around my shoulders and guiding me to the barrier until I was inches away. He wheeled my cart to the barrier too, and gave me the instructions. "Now, the Muggles mustn't catch sight of us, so we must do this inconspicuously. Act naturally and do what I do," Dad pushed the cart into the wall, Isis hooting nervously, and it melted through as if the barrier was made of butter rather than brick. My jaw dropped.

"Of course! This must keep the Muggles from seeing the train," I muttered. I watched as my father crossed his arms across his chest and lazily leaned into the wall, and in a flash he was gone. I did the same, squeezing my eyes shut in nervous fear. Stepping backwards I felt a sensation like cool water running over my body, though it only lasted for a split second. I opened one eye and gazed upon the most wondrous sight I've seen. A gargantuan scarlet train rested magnificently on the tracks, emblazoned with golden letters spelling The Hogwarts Express. Crowded on the Platform were the most odd group of people I had ever seen, young witches and wizards dressed in jeans and t-shirts, their parents, if magical folk themselves, trying to pass themselves off as Muggles, many in vain. I saw a middle-aged man wearing a flowery pink blouse, leading two teenage boys to the entrance of the train. In spite of myself, I giggled. Dad and I pushed our way through the crowd, narrowly avoiding a collision with a pink-faced, mousy-haired girl chasing a toad, and pulled to a stop in front of the majestic steam engine.

"It's huge!" A voice said to my right, belonging to my brother. His brown eyes were shining with awe. Mum and Dad laughed at him affectionately. Hugo's two second attention span kicked in as he spotted a five-person family loitering a few meters away. "UNCLE HARRY! AUNT GINNY! OVER HERE!" My brother started jumping up and down like a rabbit on caffeine, waving his arms in the air as if he were trying to flag down an airplane. Uncle Harry turned his black-haired head at the noise, and led his large family over to us. Next to him was Aunt Ginny, her signature Weasley hair, flaming red of course, tied back in a ponytail and her warm brown eyes twinkling. Clutching her hand was nine-year-old Lily, with both her mother's red hair and chocolate brown eyes, slightly watery. She was clearly jealous of her Hogwarts-bound older brothers. Hugo and she immediately stood together, being the youngest of both families and starting their first year together in two years, they had formed a sort of pact. Beside her was Albus, with both his father's untidy black hair and sparkling emerald eyes, and I beamed a him. Al was the best friend I had, and we were as thick as thieves. He looked a little nervous, he was always a little meek. Lagging behind the rest of the group and looking slightly embarrassed and impatient to be with his friends was thirteen-year-old James, with auburn hair a shade darker than mine, and brown eyes framed with glasses. He was starting his third year at Hogwarts, and he was a Gryffindor, like both his parents.

The four siblings embraced, complimenting each other and chatting amiably. Al was arguing with James about something, and the clock said that we still had about five minutes until eleven, so I just watched the Platform curiously. Croak! A sudden noise spooked me as a large, fat toad leaped over my foot, the pink-faced girl following closely behind. Laughing inwardly, I looked around the Platform once more. My eyes fell on a pair, both tall, blonde, and male, but one was significantly older than the other, who was probably his son. The older man was tall and foreboding, but slender, and his eyes held a look that suggested he had seen a great deal. His son resembled him greatly, with the same slim build and smooth silver-blonde hair, but his pearl-gray eyes held innocence and warmth. He turned his head and caught me looking, and my cheeks and ears turned pink. I quickly glanced away.

Out of my peripheral vision I saw the two stride toward us. Dad saw it too, and watched them somewhat warily. The man just walked by and nodded, but not as if he and Dad were friends at all. His son just glanced at us before they both met up with a tall and beautiful black haired woman, most-likely the man's wife and boy's mother.

"Draco Malfoy. So that must be little Scorpius. Make sure you beat him in every test. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains," Dad only half-joked. I beamed at his compliment.

"Ron! Don't turn them against each other before they've even started school!" Mum argued, slightly smiling.

"Just don't get too friendly with him, Rosie. Your granddad would kill you if you married a pure-blood." At Dad's next statement I flushed scarlet.

"Dad!" I laughed.

"We better get going, Rose, we have two minutes left," Al said, glancing at his watch. He bid his parent and sister goodbye as James climbed aboard with his trunk. Albus followed as I hugged my parents.

"Bye Mum! Bye Dad!" I said, hoisting my trunk onto the train, balancing Iris' cage precariously in my arms. I tried making my way up the aisle, but my trunk and owl got in the way, and Iris' cage threatened to crash to the ground more than once, so I resorted to calling for help. "Al!" I called to my cousin, a little ways ahead of me. He had already dropped his trunk off in a compartment. "Come help please!"

Al turned around making his way to me, and then a smooth voice said, "Need a hand?" I turned to see myself looking up at Scorpius Malfoy. And I thought I was tall. "I'm Scorpius, by the way."

"Rose," I introduced, glancing back at my cousin's slow progress. Something about Scorpius made me uncomfortable, but I didn't know what. Al was now only a few compartments ahead-

"Are you sure you don't need a hand?"

"I've got it thanks," Albus rudely answered for me, taking my trunk and glaring at Scorpius. I stared at him, shocked. Al was usually so meek and quiet, and here he was, standing up to a boy about two heads taller than he. "You're a Malfoy, aren't you? Dad, Harry Potter, maybe you've heard of him, told me about your family. A lot of purebloods. He said that your dad hated Muggle-borns. My aunt's a Muggle-born."

Scorpius looked just as shocked as I. Then his tone became very cold. "My father told me about your dad. He said that he was great wizard, very brave. Very loyal. You'll find that sons aren't always like their fathers. You may be a prime example of this." With that, Scorpius pushed by and strode down the aisle of the train. Al looked extremely offended.

"Why were you talking to him, Rose? You heard what Uncle Ron said!" Al demanded.

"He was joking, Albus. Besides, I wasn't talking to him, he was talking to me. Why does it matter, anyways?"

"Because he's an arrogant git and I don't wan't him talking to my best friend!" Al argued. I simply rolled my eyes and sighed.

"What's the harm of talking to a person? He was polite enough until you showed up, and why judge him because of what your father said about his father? Maybe he was right, sons aren't always like their fathers."

"But-"

"Conversation over." I stated, plopping down into the compartment where Al left his trunk.

My 1st HP fanfic! Yay! Anyways, not too happy with the ending, but I didn't want to make this chapter way too long by going on and on about their ride, that'll be next chapter :)

Please R&R!