Annie's POV

Hi my name is Annie Oakley and I'm an orphan. Have been for as long as I can remember. According to my carer I was dropped off at the orphanage the day I was born. I'm now nine turning ten next March. Anyway I'm tired of being treated like a slave at the group home I live in. No one ever comes to adopted us and the only time someone leaves. Is if they turn eighteen or run away. I've decided to runaway.

My plan was to catch a train out of London. I saved money I found over the last three years. I have about fifty pounds. It should be enough to get me out of London. But after that I have to find more money. Anyway my carer Miss Campbell believes I am at the library doing last minute homework for school before the tomorrow. It's September first 1991 and I have just arrived at King's Cross Station looking for a train to board.

"It's the same year after year. Always packed with Muggles, of course" I hear a woman say.

"Muggles?" I say confused looking for the source of the voice. As I've never heard that word before. I spot her. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys and one girl, all with flaming red hair. Each of the boys are pushing a trunk and I saw an owl. Whoa, I didn't know people could have owls as pets? I decide to follow them discreetly.

I soon notice I'm not the only one following them. A scrawny boy with messy black hair and glasses is also following them. He's clothes look way to big for him. He also has trunk and an owl. Except his is even more beautiful then the red headed boy's grey owl.

"Now what's the platform number?" the woman asks one of her sons.

"9 and 3/4s" the girl answers. "Can't I go?" she asks her mother.

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first" the woman tells the oldest boy. The boy and I watch him closely. The oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. But just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms. A large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away. The boy had vanished. "Fred, you're next" the woman states.

"He's not Fred, I am" one of the twin's whine.

"Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother?" the other asks and I giggle.

"Sorry George" she says as the second boy steps forward.

"Only joking, I am Fred" he says and runs towards the wall. He disappeared through it. Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there -- and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere. The black haired boy approaches what is left of the red headed family.

"Excuse me" he says and the woman gives him a warm motherly smile.

"First time at Hogwarts dear?" she asks him. He nods his head. "Don't worry, it's Ron's first time as well" she says pointing to the last boy. I notice the girl looking at the boy in awe. I think someone is developing a crush.

"Can you tell me how to?" he asks pointing to the wall.

"How to get onto the platform?" she asks him and he nods his head. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron" she tells him.

He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He then broke into a heavy run. He vanished through it like the other boys.

I waited until the woman, Ron and girl went through. Then decide to follow. It'd get me out of London. Besides it looks magical. I always loved anything to do with magic. I run toward the barrier and close my eyes as I'm about to hit it. But I don't.

I open my eyes. To see a scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it.

"Wow" I say in awe. I notice a bunch of children hugging parents or greeting friends. Before boarding the train. They must be going to some sort of boarding school. Miss Campbell always threatened to send us to an all girl boarding school if we missed behaved to much. I board the train and look around trying to decide where to go.

I start to explore the train not really paying attention to my surroundings. When I bump into someone. "Sorry" I say as I look at a pale boy with very blonde slicked back hair. He has piercing grey eyes. He dusts off some sort of uniform and sneers at me.

"No need to ask for your name" he states.

"Excuse me?" I say confused. I'd never meet him before. So how would he know my name?

"Red hair and hand me down clothes" he says looking at my outfit. "You must be a Weasley" he sneers. Does he mean the red headed family I saw earlier? And it's not my fault I have hand me downs. Miss Campbell used the majority of the money she got on herself.

"Is there a problem with that?" I ask him.

"Poor and dumb, just stay away from Weasley and we won't have a problem" he tells me. Before storming past me. I frown, why is he so grumpy? He's not much older then me, he should be happy. Maybe he doesn't want to go to the boarding school.

"Hey, you ok?" I hear a girl ask. I turn to see a bushy haired girl holding a book. A trunk standing beside her.

"Yes, I'm fine" I assure her.

"I'm Hermione Granger, is it your first year at Hogwarts also?" she asks me. I nod my head. "I can't wait, I've already read all of my course books. I also read Hogwarts a History. I think I'll either be in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor" she tells me.

"I'm Annie Weasley" I partially lie. We shake hands. "Can I sit with you?" I ask her and she nods her head. We got to an empty compartment and I help her put her trunk in the luggage rack. She starts to read her book after taking a stick out.

Soon I feel the train leave the station. Hermione starts to flick it muttering under her breath and I see blue sparks appear. "Wow" I say and she looks up at me.

"Are you muggle-born also?" she asks me excitedly.

"Muggle- born?" I ask.

"Have non-magical parents?" she asks and I nod my head. "Me too" she tells me smiling. Just then a round faced boy opens our door.

"Can I sit with you?" he asks us and we nod our heads. "I'm Neville" he says as he sits beside Hermione. We introduce ourselves. He then places his hand in his pocket and frowns. Then checks his other pocket and begins to panic.

"Something wrong Neville?" I ask him concerned.

"I can't find my toad Trevor, my grandmother will kill me" he whines.

"No, she won't" Hermione assures him.

"We'll help you look for him. He can't of gotten off of the train" I tell him. So we split up searching the train asking other students if they'd seen a toad. But no luck. I return to our compartment to see the other two in the same uniform as the blonde boy from before.

"Why aren't you dressed?" Hermione asks me. "I just spoke to the conductor, he said we'll be arriving soon" she tells me.

"I forgot my uniform, my mother is going to send it to me" I tell her.

"In that case, you can borrow one of mine" she tells me with a smile. She goes to her trunk and pulls out another uniform. I take it and go to the bathroom. I change into it folding my clothes and return to the compartment. We soon reach a station next to a small village. We exit the train.

"First years, this way" someone calls. I turn to see a giant and hide behind Hermione. I always hated meeting new adults. And he is huge. Hermione grabs my hand and drags me over to him with a bunch of other students gathering around him. I notice I'm not the only one intimidated by him. "That everyone?" he asks and we nod our heads. "This way to the boats, come on" he says and leads us to a dock. "Five to a boat" he tells us.

Hermione, Neville and I get into one. With the red headed boy and scrawny boy from earlier. The boats move forward on their own.

A/N

Picture above of Annie and on the external link of Hermione.