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THE TRAIN station was bustling with other people, both muggles and wizards alike. Of course, I couldn't tell which each person was but I knew there were many wizarding folk heading for the exact same place my family and I were.

I followed my mother as she weaved through the crowd with Elora in tow. My dad and I were trailing after her until we reached the very solid looking entrance to platform 9 3/4. I was unsure of how it worked but nothing made much sense in the wizarding world, I'd learned.

"Just run into it," Mum instructed, pointing, "Don't hesitate, it makes it much harder. Okay, darling?"

I nodded and started forward, pushing my cart in front of me, then started to go faster until I was sprinting towards the brick. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for impact, but it never came. I opened my eyes and my jaw fell, amazed by what I saw.

The platform had a bright scarlet steam engine, the Hogwarts Express, with many wizards milling about. Mum followed through moments later and tugged on my arm, insisting that the sooner I found a compartment, the better.

I walked alongside her as she peered into the windows, looking for an empty one. Elora tugged on my sleeve as we walked, whining loudly or asking a lot of questions I didn't have the answer to. I was unsure of where Mum had went until I heard her call out, "I found one!"

I hurried up, leaving Elora with Dad, and found Mum proudly standing in front of an empty compartment. She grabbed my trunk and helped me push it in then stood outside, her eyes teary.

"Are you ready?" Dad asked, holding a tired-looking Elora.

I shrugged, "I suppose so."

Mum pulled me in for a tight hug, "Stay safe, we'll write often. You better write back." She laughed against my hair, though it sounded a little sad.

"Of course, Mum," I squeezed her then stepped back, giving Dad a quick hug before I entered the compartment and waved at them through the window, "I'll tell you what house I get into!"

I watched as they disappeared into the crowd, Elora once again complaining loudly about something. The train was quieter than it was outside, since most people were already in compartments or still outside.

I spent the time daydreaming, though I was already technically living my daydreams. I had been so sure that the period of time to receive my letter would've come and gone without the wax-sealed letter but it hadn't.

The train would be leaving soon and I'd really be headed to Hogwarts.

The door slid open and I glanced over, seeing a girl my age. She looked a bit uncomfortable and unsure of herself. She had a pretty face and long dark brown hair, which was carefully braided in a crown around her head.

"May I sit here?" she finally asked, "There's nowhere else to sit."

I nodded, "Sure."

She smiled, a small one, and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. I watched as she pushed her trunk into the overhead storage and sat down across from me, looking out the window.

"What's your name?" I asked after a bit, curious.

She held herself with a trained kind of politeness, as if she'd been taught how to seem more pleasing. Her way of speaking was a bit formal, too, "Charis, Charis Avery. Yours?"

"Jaci Thompson," I replied, watching her. She blinked slowly, I noticed, as if thinking deeply or saddened.

"I've never heard of that name, is your family pureblooded?"

I shook my head, "No, my mum's a muggle born and my dad's halfblood."

"Oh," was all she said until, a few minutes later, she spoke again, "I'm a pureblood."

I had already known that, or assumed so, since the Avery family was a well-known pureblood family. They were part of the Sacred Twenty Eight, supposedly the most pureblooded families of us all. That explained her formalness, especially for an eleven year old.

"Is that good?" I asked, not knowing what her thoughts on it was.

She remained silent, ignoring my question. I followed her lead and didn't try to make anymore small talk for most of the train ride.

I kept my eyes on the window, watching as nature went by as the train made its way to Hogwarts. Bored, I pulled my messenger bag towards me and started to rummage through it, pretending I didn't see Charis watching me.

I knew I'd put it into my bag but I couldn't seem to find it. I went everywhere with some and not being able to find them was stressful, especially since I hadn't bought more in a while and it was my last box.

Finally, my hand closed on the box and I pulled out the chocolates, sighing in relief. I opened it and ate one of them. I glanced to Charis then extended it to her, offering her some. She watched me warily but took one anyway, smiling that reserved smile again before she ate it.

After a while, she broke the silence again, "Do you ever wish life was different?"

"Don't we all?" I countered, trying to match her demeanor.

She smiled, a wider, real one, "I suppose. What house do you want to be in?"

"Slytherin or Ravenclaw, my parents would kill me if I wasn't one of them," I joked, trying to lighten the quiet mood as I ate another chocolate before putting the box away.

Charis sighed, "My parents would disown me if I was anything but Slytherin."

I had nothing to say so we once again fell into silence. She pulled out a book and started to read, pressed against the wall with her legs tucked beneath her, skirt carefully arranged around her.

I leaned towards the window and looked out, smiling since I could faintly see a large castle ahead of us, shadowed in the lack of light. I could hear people out in the halls, chatting to each other, and something hit our window.

I didn't bother to check it out and only moved when the train pulled to a stop at the Hogsmeade station. Charis exited quickly, disappearing amongst the other students, and I left shortly after.

I heard someone calling for first years so I pushed towards them, finding the group of my fellow first years in a small knot. I followed everyone else as we headed towards the lake, where a fleet of small boats were waiting for us.

I climbed into one and another kid joined me, saying nothing as they shifted around to make themself comfortable. I gasped as the boats pulled away from the shore by themselves, hearing the surprise of others, too.

The boats pushed through the water until the castle came into view above us, looming out of the dark. Lights inside cast glows that leaked out of the windows, giving it a sort of haunted, lonely look.

I climbed out when my boat hit the shore and moved with the group as we entered the castle. Candles lit the hall and we were escorted to a room off to the side, told to wait until the sorting ceremony started.

I saw Charis with a few other kids, all wearing finer jewelry and accessories than everyone else, and I assumed they were other Sacred Twenty Eight kids. She wasn't talking much but she seemed to stand closer to a black haired boy with grey eyes and pale skin. He was louder than she was but didn't seem to like his company much, either.

"First years, the sorting begins now. Follow me in and remain in a close line," someone called and we filed in behind her as she led us into the Great Hall, where four large tables with hundreds of other students greeted us.

She led us up to the professors' table at the front, where a small four-legged stool sat with a grubby looking wizard's hat set upon it. She lifted it, along with a long scroll, and started to read off names.

"Charis Avery!" she called, watching Charis as she stepped forward.

She looked nervous and a little fidgety as she sat on the stool and the hat was placed over her head. Silence filled the hall as the hat thought. It then shouted, "Slytherin!"

The green and silver clad table erupted into cheers as she stood and removed the hat, dropping it back onto the stool before heading to join the Slytherins. She was smiling that real smile again as older years congratulated her with knowing smiles.

A few names later, the boy she'd been standing with was called up to the hat, his name being Sirius Black. Sure enough, he was Sacred Twenty Eight. The Blacks were highly well known, going far back with their magical blood.

He was sorted into Gryffindor, much to my surprise.

Some Slytherins flinched in surprise then their eyes turned cold, their expressions taunting, while Black walked to the lion's table. The Gryffindor house seemed hesitant, unsure of whether they were supposed to cheer and clap for him like they had for their other new additions, but it didn't seem to matter because the Hufflepuffs congratulated him on his way and the lions, following their lead, started up a late cheer.

I tuned out most of the sorting ceremony until my own name broke me out of my daze. I stepped towards the stool and sat down, taking a deep breath as the sorting hat dropped onto my head, covering my eyes.

"You're quite the girl," the hat commented, "A werewolf, don't get many of you these days. Hardly ever, actually, what with the whole biting and attacking people."

I bristled and whispered, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Now, now, calm down. I'm just amused that we now have two."

As the information sunk in, I became more excited until the excitement turned to fear. If one of us caused any problems, our kind would never be allowed back into the school again. I wanted to ask the hat who the other werewolf was but it cut me off by shouting, "Slytherin!"

The hat was whisked off of my head before I could react and I walked to my new house's table without thinking much about it. I heard congratulations fall on my ears but, the longer I didn't respond, the more hesitant they became.

Charis was watching me, curiosity in her eyes, but I couldn't find myself to say anything to her or anyone else. The information spinning inside my head was taking up too much space as the hat's words echoed over and over.

"Now we have two."

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