September First 2014

Last night I got four hours of sleep. The past ten days have been very hectic for me, not just because the fact that today is the day I'm leaving for Hogwarts.

Albus and Lily knew something was different. Albus told me that himself. Unfortunately, I'm forbidden to tell them the secret of our family's fame. Though in retrospect, it is obvious. I still am beating myself up over the fact that I didn't come to realize earlier.

After a week, I finally began to talk to them again. It takes time to be comfortable with the truth. I got to talk with Teddy too. Apparently he went through something similar when he was my age. It also had dawned on him how famous he was because he was my dad's Godson.

I toss and turn and bed. After a while, I give up and just lay there waiting for my alarm to ring, letting thoughts aimlessly float through my head. I'll have to be at King's Cross station in four hours. Heavy waves of nausea and excitment come over me as I think.

I'll finally get to see Hogwarts. The magnificent castle, standing broad and tall. Hagrid's little hut, and the Forbidden Forest. Oh, I'm going to have some fun in there. The Room of Requirement, the Great Hall, the kitchens, and the Quidditch Pitch....

I'm going to break all the school records. Which, according to Uncle George, were broken by him and Uncle Fred in their fifth year. God, I am so looking forward to that. Hogwarts, here I come.

***

Don't you hate when you actually pick up the clock to look how much longer you have to wait, and it goes off. As soon as the high pitched beeping started, I slammed it onto my dresser and quickly got dressed. I ran into my parents room, who were coincidentally awake.

"-when you get there," my dad said into the phone. "'Bout ten-thirty if nothing crazy happens. Okay see you there."

"Who was that?" I asked him.

"Nobody especially important," he said. "Now, breakfast? It's going to be a long train ride."

I knew this was going to be the last time in many months I was going to actually sit at the same table as my family. I made sure to remember the moment as I ate the last of my toast. It may have been a typical morning, but I knew it wasn't.

By nine o'clock I had my trunk loaded back into the back of the car. It took another thirty minutes to actually get Lily calm enough to get everyone in the car("Why can't he stay?" "I don't want him to go!" "I can come with too!" "James, pretty please don't go!").

After a long hour in the car wedged against Lily's car seat and the door, we arrived at King's Cross Station. I'd only been here three times, all of which were to see Teddy off. This certainly felt different as I pushed my own trolley through the station. Lily trailed besides me, clutching onto the trolley.

"Mum, haven't you explained to Lily why she can't come with me?"

"Many times, but it hasn't seemed to sink in yet."

"But I want to come with."

"Lily, you're sweet. But can you bother Al right now?"

"Promise me dat you won't leave yet?"

"I... promise." For the first time in an hour, Lily finally left my side. She could get annoying, but I knew I was going to miss her the most.

After a few more minutes of walking we reached platforms nine and ten.

"You go ahead," dad said to mum.

"Are you sure?"

"We don't want James to be late. I'll be there to see him off."

"Why're you stayin' behind Daddy?" Lily asked.

"I have someone to meet here, I'll be with you in a few minutes."

"Alrighty," Lily said, putting on her cute smile.

"Okay James," said Mum. "You first, then you Al, Lily- you and I will go together."

I tightly grasped the handles of the trolley. I ran at the wall, quickly gaining speed, trying not to wince as I passed through the solid appearing wall.

The Hogwarts Express stood in front of me, the old steam engine bold and scarlet. Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the bustling crowd. It was more amazing than I remembered it two years ago.

"What're you just standing there for?" I heard Al say, behind me.

"I'm not sure, it's just this is it."

"Yep it is," Al says, "the day I finally get rid of you."

"Albus," says Mum.

"Sorry mum, you know I didn't mean it."

"Yeah, right," Lily laughs.

"So James, I suggest we wait until your father gets here, then you can go find an empty compartment," Mum says.

***

It took ten more minutes, but Dad finally showed up.

"Daddy!" Lily's head snapped up.

"Sorry that took so long," he said.

"No, it's okay. Most people still haven't got on the train yet, we're not that behind," said Mum.

"Well, we better pick up the pace then. James?"

"Yes?" I asked.

"We'll see you at Christmas, hopefully still alive- joking. Anyway, don't mess with Peeves. Don't duel anyone 'til you've learned how," he lowered his voice. "And absolutely don't go looking for any secret Chambers."

I smiled, "I can't promise you that."

"I'm serious."

"So am I, quite literally. James Sirius."

"You're a riot, do you know that?"

"I live by it."

Dad laughs, "I love you."

"I love you too," I hug him and then Mum.

"Don't forget to write!" She says.

"Who knows, maybe I will," I laugh.

I jumped onto the train, without looking behind me. I lugged my trunk down the corridor, searching and searching for an empty compartment. I still couldn't believe this was it- the day I've been waiting for so long I can't even remember.

Finally near the end of the train I find a compartment that appears empty. I eventually manage to safely tuck everything in the corner with barely any struggle. I sigh and look out the window. Al was talking to mum, whilst Lily was staring in wonder at the train. She nudged dad once her eyes were locked on the compartment I was sitting in.

The four of them waved at me. Honestly, it made me feel queasy, mostly because all the staring eyes. People all around them were looking. Before I knew it, the train slowly started to pull out of the station. My family disappeared right before my eyes.

I put my head in my hands- This was it.

"Oi!" My head snapped up. In front of me stood a girl my age with blonde hair down to her shoulders. She wore some of the weirdest clothes I've ever seen, and after the 2014 Quidditch World Cup, that's saying something.

She wore mismatched blue and orange knit knee socks, leather ankle boots with spuds, cut off jeans, a purple windbreaker that looked about two sizes too big, a dreadful rainbow fleece scarf, and to tie it all together a red headband. She was probably trying her best to blend in with normal muggles, but clearly failed miserably.

"What are you doing in my compartment?" She asked.

"Um, I needed somewhere to sit and this compartment was empty," I say.

"One, I was sitting here. Two, get out!" She crosses her arms.

"Look, you can't just sit in here all by yourself when nearly everywhere is full."

"I think I can," she said simply. "Now get out, you have ten seconds."

"Ten seconds until what?"

"I'm not sure, but that usually works."

"I guess I'll just stay then," I say.

"I really prefer you don't."

"Why? Are you afraid of cooties or something?"

"God, I'm not that immature. I just like being alone. This is truly the first time in my life where I can get away from my siblings," she says.

"Oh, I get it."

"Yeah," she says sharply. "So anyway. I'm Hermione. Hermione Alexa Smith. What's your name?"

"Hermione?" I ask.

"Yeah. Not very common name. But my parents did say I was named after like, one of the most outstanding witches of the century or something. Honestly, they expect too much of me."

"Oh, okay," I say. "It's just, one of my aunts is named Hermione."

"Cool," she says. "Anyway, I told you my name. What's yours."

"Oh, right. I'm James. James Potter."

"Potter?" Her eyes widen. "The Potters? Harry, Ginny, all those people."

"Yeah," I say sheepishly. "Those are kind of my parents."

"Wicked," she says.

At that moment, the compartment door slid open. I was expecting the trolley, but instead a boy with stringy brown hair stood in front of us.

"The other compartments, they- they kicked me out. Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Come on in," I say.

"No," Hermione said, her eyes set on the boy.

"Just let him in," I tell her.

"No."

"Why? Why do you have a problem with- what's your name?"

"Maddox."

"Okay, I'm James and this is Hermione. Nice to meet you," I turned back to Hermione. "Why do you have a problem with Maddox? Just let him in,"

She sighed, clearly defeated, "He'll sit next to you, right?"

"Right."

"Come on in, Max," Hermione said dully.

Maddox sat down, obviously too frighte Hermione and her obnoxious rainbow scarf to correct her. There were a few moments of silence before Hermione decided to break the ice.

"What in Merlin is on your teeth, Max?"

"Braces," he said uncertainly. "And my name's not-"

"Bracelets?" Hermione asked very confused. Between her 'muggle' fashion sense and ignorance to what braces were, it was obvious she didn't have much knowledge of the muggle world. I could tell she was most likely a pureblood.

"Braces," I corrected. "They're a muggle system to straighten teeth. It's basically metal bracket thingies they put on."

She stared at me.

"What?"

"I wouldn't expect you of all people to know about muggle stuff, that's it."

"My parents sent me to muggle school for four years, because between the two of them they didn't have time to teach me to read and other 'muggle stuff'."

"Okay change of subject," Hermione said. "This conversation is going nowhere. What houses do you guys want to get into? All of my family is in Hufflepuff, but I'm thinking of changing tradition. Maybe Gryffindor or Slytherin, definitely not Ravenclaw. I'm not smart at all."

"Gryffindor," I said. "Definitely."

"Well of course," Hermione said, "You're sort of guaranteed to get my Gryffindor. You have the Potters and Weasleys in your bloodline, it's not like the hat's going to place you in Slytherin."

"Who knows, it is possible. Well, not for me. But I know my brother's just waiting to join the snakes."

"Really?"

"No, but it'd be funny if he did."

Hermione laughed, "So Max, what's your deal? What house d'you want?"

"One, I'm not sure yet," Maddox clenches his teeth. "And two, get it right! My name is Maddox, Maddox Vyron Dursley!"