It was so whimsical. Getting a wand for the first time. “Hold out your wand hand.” I lifted my left arm. “Ah, a Sinister. Quite nice, quite nice.” The man behind the counter said, as he measured my arm. “One moment please.” He went to the back and when he came back, he was carrying three boxes in his hand. “Here we are. Pick one and try it out.” I picked up the on fertist to my right. It was a rosewood, twelve inch, phoenix feather wand.

I flicked it at the pot of roses and it shattered instead of making them grow. I quickly put the want away and did the one furthest to the left. It was an oak, eleven inch, unicorn hair wand. I flicked it at the a picture on dest and it cracked. I put the wand back. The last one was a sycomore, thirteen and a half inch, Kelpie hair wand. When I held the wand I felt a surge of power. When I flicked it, I fixed the rose pot, then I flicked it again and I fixed the picture.

“Congradulations. This is you want my dear.” I smiled brightly at the man and my wand. Looking at the wand closer I noticed that the end of the wand had the design of a heart. It was small and long, but I knew it was a heart. White and pure.

“How was it dear? Did you get your wand?” my mother asked, bending to my level. When I showed her the wand she sighed happily. “It looks lovely my dear.” She stood. “Now, lets get you home. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

I smiled at the thought. Yeah. Tomorrow.

“Do you have everything?” My mother asked as we were making our way through the train station. “Yes mum. We went over the check list over seven times.” I said, with a little laugh in my voice. “I know but still...” She stopped herself and gave me the tightest bare hug. “It’s just that you’re growing up to fast! My baby girl.” I pried myself away from her grip and straightened my shirt.

“Hey, look there it is.” Bram pointed to a sign that had the number nine on it. “I thought the station were going to was nine and three quarters. This is just nine.” Bram winked at me as he started running towards the brick wall. Before I could stop him he “fell into the wall” I guess. “Go on. I promise that you’ll be fine dear.” My father said, patting me in the direction of the wall. “Oh and take these!” My mother put a pair of glasses on me and then let me go. I gulped and ran towards the wall, eyes shut, fearing that I’d hit brick... but I didn’t. I was stopped by Bram.

“That was great for you first time, but next time maybe you should--” I lightly hit him in the stomach. “You bloody idiot!” I yelled at him. “You nearly gave me a bloody heart attack!” Even with me scolding him, he had the biggest smile on his face. “Aw, you’re so cute when you’re in a tizzy.” He said, ruffling my hair. I blushed and swatted his hand away. “Hey what’s with the glasses?” I shrugged. Before I knew it, Bram took the glasses and crushed them in his hand. Before I could protest he said, “They made your eyes green. Probably mum’s doing right?” I nodded and he sighed.

“Well.” He took my bags. “Stay here while I put these away. Don’t move.” I did as I was told and when Bram came back he escorted me onto the train. We found the car that Gabby was in I tried to enter the car too but Bram stopped me by saying, “Oh no you don’t. You need to go make friends. So go make friends.” He pointed down the hall and shut the door in my face. I sighed and looked into one car that only had one girl and knocked on the door. She motioned that I could come in, so I did.

“Hi!” She greeted me as I sat down across from her. “Hey...” I said, giving a little wave. “So, you're a first year to right?” She asked, I simply nodded. “Cool! Me too!” She extended her hand. “I’m Kathryn Micrylium, but please, call me Kat. And you are?” I took her hand softly and sadly. “Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn Marchbanks.” She gasped. “Oh, you must be related to the Marchbanks that help run Gringotts Wizarding Bank! Right?” This Kat can sure be excitable. “And you’re the special daughter with purple eyes right?” I blushed. My hair was in my face this whole time and I kept my eyes down, so of course she couldn’t see my eyes.

I looked up at her and her face was so bright that it was kind of hard to look at. “Oh! They’re so pretty!” She go really close to my face. “You know that is so cool! I wish I had your eyes. I’d never get tired of looking in the mirror!” I was about to tell her that she might want to quiet down, when a candy trolley came by. Kat scurried to get up and grab some candy.

“Two Cauldron Cakes please!”

“Certainly dear.” The older woman gave Kat something that I couldn’t see and when she sat back down, half the cake was already in her mouth. “Here.” She handed me the other cake. It was chocolate with drippy green icing on top, it also had yellow ball sprinkles onto. I remember that my dad would always bring one back to me on his way home from work. “Thank you.” I said politely as I took the cake from her.

I’d barely made a dent in my cake when Kat said, “So, since you’re a Pure-Blood, does that me you’ve got yourself a fiance?” I blushed. “Ye-yeah.” Hoping to flip the subject I asked.

“You’re a Pure-Blood, right? Don’t you have fiance?” She just laughed. “Yes I’m a Pure-Blood, but I don’t have to choose who I want till I wanna.” I gawked at her. It was now that I really took in what she looked like. Her brown hair was wild and untamed, just like the glint in her green eyes. She was also a little taner than me and had a slight dash of freckles across her nose.

“Say, you gonna finish that?” Her words brought me back to reality, as I saw her eyes glued to my half-eaten cake. I pulled it closer to me. “Y-yes. Yes I am.” I said, shoving the rest in my mouth. In hindsight it was quite unladylike to do such a thing, but I really didn’t want her to take my cake...

Kat jumped up and grabbed my arm, causing me to jump up as well. “Quick we have to change we’re almost there! I know it!” She pointed to my robe that I’d had on my lap, but know was on the floor, and quickly threw on hers and then, when we were both dressed, she was going to say something when I heard a voice from the cart across from ours. "Is it true?" It was Draco’s! leaned in to hear what was going on. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said a boy. I’d never heard the name Harry Potter before. But apparently it meant something to Draco and his two friends that I could see through the glass.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said Draco carelessly. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Another boy gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigget. Draco looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you?” The snape in his voice scared me. “No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

Draco then turned back to the first boy. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it. "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

Knowing Draco, he didn't go red, but had a pink tinge on his pale cheeks right now. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

Both boys stood up.

"Say that again," the red haired boy said. "Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Draco sneered. "Unless you get out now," said the black haired boy. How could he be so brave at the face of Crabbe and Goyle, who were a lot bigger than them.

"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some." Goyle reached for something next to the Weasley boy, and I stopped looking. How could I? I sat down, head in hands.

Where was the Draco that I’d danced with not long ago. “What a jerk.” Kat said, leaning away from the door, placing her hands on her hips. “That’s my fiance.” I mumbled. I felt like crying. “Whoa, you okay?” Kat asked, sitting next to me. I looked at her through misty eyes. “T-that was my fiance.” Kat’s eyes were wide.

“Wait, Mr. Jerk is your FIANCE?!” I motioned for her to calm down. “H-he’s not normally like that! I-”

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." I jumped at the sound of the voice.

“Oh! Cool, we’re almost there!” Kat said, turning to the window, trying to see the school if she could. She really does have the attention span of a squirrel. I sighed. The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. It was really cold tonight, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and a deep voice said, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!

The man was huge. No other words could come to mind to describe him. "Any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, we followed the tall man down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark I could barely see. Nobody spoke much.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," The man called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud, "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Me and Kat sat in a boat with two other strangers. "Everyone in?" shouted the man, who had a boat to himself. "Right then -- FORWARD!" And we made our way to Hogwarts.