Out the train window, the familiar city landscape gradually switches to green rolling hills with farms dotted here and there. Leo and I start getting acquainted, talking to each other about our families. Lea tells me that he has three younger brothers, but wants a sister. I tell him about how my parents died when I was a baby and about how I was raised by my grandmother and godfather.
It feels strange to be talking to someone my age. Yes I've spoken to Victiore, but she's a girl, and practically like my family anyways. This feels different. But it is a good different.
When the trolley comes by, I get Burtie Box Every Flavor Beans and Leo gets a few chocolate frogs. Harry and Grandma Andromeda never let me have candy at home so this is truly a delight. Leo shows me his chocolate frog card collection and I am amazed. I have never seen that many chocolate frog cards all in the same place! I pick up the Albus Dumbledore card.
"That's who Al's named after," I say. "He'll be coming to Hogwarts in nine years. I'm sure he'll be in Gryffindor."
"What makes you say that?"
"He's got James as an older brother," I reply. "You've got to be really brave to survive THAT!"
Leo laughs and then turns serious again. "What's it like being part of a family while still knowing you weren't born into it?"
I shrug "it doesn't really make much of a difference to me. Harry and Ginny care for me like their own child, but they still want me to think of myself as Remus and Nymphadora Lupin's son, not their's. And anyways," I chuckle "no one can mistake me for their kid. I look nothing like them! I'm a metamorphmagus, like my mom and I look a lot like my dad. Harry says that looks aren't where the resemblance ends, whatever that means."
Leo looks out the window. After a bit he turns back to me. "What do you think it'll be like?"
"What, Hogwarts?"  I lean back. "I don't know. I've been told it's the best place in the world"
"That's what my dad says. He was quidditch captain for a while, you know," he says proudly. "Do you play?"
I nod. "Harry lets me practice on his old firebolt. And I go to Ginny's games whenever I can. "
"I want to try out for the team next year. Would you do it with me?"
"If we're in the same house, sure"
"Promise?"
"Promise."
After that, we sit in silence for a while. I pull out the picture of my parents and sigh in disappointment. They aren't in the picture. I haven't seen them in that picture over the past few days.
"You okay?" Leo asks me.
"Yeah," I say putting down the picture, making a mental note to check back later, and look out the window. That the hills have been replaced by a large forest. Once or twice, I feel like I see a pair of eyes glowering through the trees, but I'm sure it's just my imagination.
Harry and Grandma Andromeda have told me all about Hogwarts. The thestrals in the Forbidden Forest. The merpeople in the Black Lake. The secret tunnels on the castle just waiting to be explored by some daredevil rule breakers. I'm more excited about Hogwarts than I have ever been about anything in my entire 11-year-long life!  I'm finally going to this majestic place that I have been hearing about, dreaming about for my whole life! 
After a long time, I feel the train begin to stop. Leo and I step down from the train and look around. I smile as I see the huge castle just across the lake.
Harry had told me about Hagrid, but I was truly unprepared for the major size difference between our large group of new first years and the Hogwarts gamekeeper.
"C'mon, kids," he booms as he leads us towards the lake. We step into boats that would take us closer to the castle. I share one with Leo and two other boys.
My excitement only grows as we float closer and closer to Hogwarts.
________
Soooooo, how was that chapter?  Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been super busy lately. Thanks so much for reading this far into it. I'll do my best to not let the sorting/great hall scene get too boring! 
-Abigail