Legacy

Legacy: Chapter Two

The Hogwarts Express

David emerged into a crowd of children, chatting and laughing together. Pushing his trolley ahead of him, he followed the general flow towards the train.

Parents were hugging their sons and daughters goodbye, and older children were catching up on gossip. Two people that David saw were wearing badges with the word 'prefect' across them. Eventually he arrived at the train, and hauled his trunk and cat basket aboard.

Then he moved the trolley away from the door to allow other people to get on. A kindly-looking lady with red hair and brown eyes was helping her daughter to take her things onto the train as well. Picking up his suitcase, and hitching the basket under his arm, David walked down the train to find an empty compartment.

Eventually he found one. Opening the door, he entered and shoved his trunk on the rack. Then he opened the basket and let his tabby, Bella, out. She curled up on his lap as he took a book from his backpack and began to read. Uncle Severus had advised him to read one thousand and one magical herbs and fungi before term began.

The train suddenly jerked beneath his feet as a whistle sounded loudly from the front of the train. Smoke billowed around the windows, and Bella dug her claws tightly into David's leg in fear, as slowly but surely the train began the journey to Hogwarts. It was soon chuntering off, away from the station and the waving parents towards the countryside.

As Bella retracted her claws and settled down into the rocking motion of the train, the door opened again. A dark-haired boy with bright blue eyes was standing in the doorway.

"Hi, I'm Greg Petersen. Can I sit here please? Everywhere else is full."

David nodded. He noticed that Greg had an owl with him, a beautiful tawny. Greg put his trunk next to David's and then sat next to him.

"This is my owl, Horace. He's a strix aluco, a tawny in English. I know all the Latin names for animals, I can't help it. It's become a hobby I guess. Like your cat is a felis catus."

"Her name is Bella," replied David, stunned by the talkative boy. "I'm David."

The door suddenly opened again to reveal the girl David had noticed with her mother before. She looked exactly the same as her mother, except that her eyes were green. She had two trunks, and was carrying a toad in her right hand. Her wand, a pale colour, was tucked behind her ear, and her hair was curly.

"Hi. Er... can I sit here?" she asked. Both boys nodded, then assisted her in putting her trunks on the rack. They introduced themselves as she made herself comfortable and removed the Quibbler from a pocket.

"I'm Lauren Howarth. I'm gonna be in first year this year. Er... this is my toad Holly. Both my parents are wizards, Slytherins. They want me to be in Slytherin too..."

Greg shrunk slightly from her, but David recognised Lauren's situation. It was very similar to his own, and he had the strange feeling that Lauren did not agree with her parents ideas either.

"I'm also pureblood. My parents were Death Eaters... died with Voldemort ten years ago. So I'm adopted." He grinned at the girl, who smiled back sympathetically. Then they looked at Greg.

"We're not our parents, Greg. Please, don't judge us by them."

For a moment, the dark-haired boy hesitated, and then he smiled, nodding. "So, what house do you want to be in then?"

"I dunno. Uncle Sev, that's my adopted dad, says that I'm ambitious enough to be a Slytherin, daring enough to be a Gryffindor, and loyal enough to be a Hufflepuff. I wouldn't mind Gryffindor, so I can show people that I'm different."

"I'm not brave," muttered Lauren. "My father always says that I'm going to be a Hufflepuff."

Greg snorted. "You'll be a Gryffindor, I bet. I'm going to be a Ravenclaw I expect."

"He knows the Latin name for every single animal," whispered David to Lauren audibly. She laughed, and suddenly the atmosphere became much less tense.

"Chocolate frog, anyone?" asked Greg.