The Life of Portia Boyd

Meetings and Reunions; Part one of chapter three

1st of September 1971

Platform nine and three quarters, London.

Portia was ready to board the Hogwarts Express. It had been four days since she had last been out and she was hoping she would never be at home without going out for that long ever again. Portia's parents weren't helping either.

Her mother and father were panicking about the time, the luggage and of course Portia. Since the trip into Beverly, Portia's mother had been really fussy and really annoying. She would make Portia take little tests to see if she would remember how to get through the barrier for platform nine and three quarters, what the names of the professors were and the rules about curfew and magic.

Portia really had had enough of this smothering. She didn't want to be cheeky so she didn't say anything, but boarding the Hogwarts Express would clear the feeling of anger towards her parents.

"Now Portia," began her mother. "Do you have your wand?" Portia nodded. "Good, do you have your books?" Again Portia nodded. "And do you have your owl?"

"Yes mother, father's holding her." Portia was getting to the point were slapping her mother silly would be a good thing to do.

Her mother looked over to Portia's owl Kiwi, who was sleeping in her cage. Portia really felt jealous. Kiwi was lucky enough not to be awake at this moment in time; she was probably dreaming about killing mice or bringing notes to her owner. An owl's life was starting to look appealing. Portia looked at the clock which read five to eleven.

"Mother should I be boarding the train now?" asked Portia hoping the answer would be yes.

Her mother also looked at the clock and replied. "Yes Portia, I suppose you better." She withdrew her eyes from the clock and brought Portia into a hug. "I'm going to miss you sweetie pie, but have a great time and write to us as often as you can, okay?"

Portia nodded, she realised she was going to miss her mother, however annoying she could be. She withdrew from the hug and smiled, not knowing what to say next.

Her father then walked next to her and said. "Goodbye Portia and good luck."

"Good luck, why did he say that?" thought Portia.

"Be sure to get in with the right crowd, I don't want you to get brought down with the lazy children and also be sure to speak to Lucius Malfoy."

"Yes father." Portia's father had mentioned something to her everyday about speaking to 'Lucius Malfoy' about some business to do with his father. Portia didn't really want to talk him about any business because it would be guaranteed she would be pulled into it. Portia said her last goodbyes, took her belongings from her father and boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time.

She walked down the corridor of the train until she came to an empty compartment. She opened the door, placed her belongings down and sat on the seat. She was free from fussing, free from her mother's illnesses and free from her father's lectures. Portia was very happy to accept the fact that she was free from her parents.

She looked out of the window, hoping to catch a little glimpse of her parents before she went, however when she looked her parents were nowhere to be seen. They weren't on the platform anymore. Portia made a wild guess that they were on their way home now. They wanted to be rid of her more than she wanted to be rid of them.

The Hogwarts Express was now moving and Portia was reading a book filled with ten different stories; all being fairy tales. The first one was about a princess sleeping on a pea. It was very boring in Portia's opinion because the pea business only lasted one page while the rest of the story lasted ten. The second story was about a princess and a frog. The princess lost her ball in a pond and a frog had retrieved it for her. The frog asked to stay with the princess and the princess being pitiful to the frog said yes. The princess and the frog became good friends and the princess kissed the frog. The frog turned into a handsome prince and they lived happily ever after. This was the usual ending for a fairy tale.

Portia was on the third story; so far it was about a princess who had to be put into hiding because an evil witch wanted to kill her so she could rule the kingdom.

Portia closed the book and placed it to the left of her. She looked out of the window and sighed.

Was it going to be like this every time she went to Hogwarts? Her parent's pretending to care and then rush off, leaving Portia to live her life. Portia then frowned, that's what she wanted wasn't it? She wanted to be left alone and not to be fussed over. That's what she wanted, so why did she feel so unhappy.

Then Portia heard the compartment door open and she looked to the door. Standing there were two boys. The first she recognised as Sirius Black; the boy from the Leaky cauldron and the second boy had black hair and he was wearing glasses.

Sirius was smiling at her; he was smiling his jester smile. The same smile as he used on his cousin; the cousin he didn't like. Portia wasn't sure this conversation was going to be a pleasant one.

"Hello again, Its Portia right?" when Portia nodded he carried on speaking. "Good, I'm Sirius Black from the Leaky cauldron, you do remember me right?"

"Yes, you're the boy who did something to your cousin..." Portia suddenly realised what she was saying. "Sorry."

"No need to say you're sorry, you're only telling the truth, anyway this is James Potter," Sirius looked at the boy with black hair. Portia's attention now turned to the other boy with black hair. His was well, now that Portia came to think about it, the boy's hair was quite messy; it looked like he hadn't brushed it in years.

"Hello Portia, It's nice to meet you," said the boy called James. He extended his hand for Portia to shake it.

"It's nice to meet you too, James." Portia shook his hand trying not to squeeze too hard.

"Well now that everyone's acquainted, Portia, may we share this compartment with you please?" asked Sirius trying to sound polite.

Portia nodded and watched the two young boys drag their trunks in and sit down next to each other. Portia put her book of fairy tales away; since she didn't need it any more. Portia looked back at Sirius and James to see them smiling at her very strangely.

"Is something wrong?" asked Portia feeling a little uneasy.

Sirius' grin couldn't get any wider as it was reaching the bottom of his eyes lids. James looked out of the window not looking at Portia at all. Portia decided to look around her to see if anything was on top of her. After finishing her little search, which she found nothing; she again looked to Sirius.

"Sirius honestly, is something wrong?"

James then started sniggering from his place near the window. Portia started to again look around compartment and found nothing. She looked over at James who was nearly in a laughing fit. Sirius on the other hand was quite calm, though he was still smiling.

A swell of anger rose inside Portia. "Sirius, come on what's so funny?"

Sirius looked over to James, who was nearly falling to the ground trying to keep his laugher in. He then looked to Portia. "Portia you're making James laugh, stop it."

"Why what am I doing?"

"Nothing really, you're just making yourself look like a fool." At this James stopped trying to hold his laughter in and he fell on the floor and rolled over, obviously amused at what Sirius had just said.

"I'm not doing anything, James stop laughing please."

James looked at Portia and smiled. "Sorry, you're just really funny to look at."

Portia narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry if my appearance is so horrid and that it amuses you, if you don't like it you can leave." "Hold on what have I just said? I've never done that before."

James looked at Sirius, who was watching Portia carefully. Sirius looked to James and smiled. "James didn't mean it like that Portia, he was joking around."

"Yeah that's right Portia, I was only joking."

Portia felt ashamed, she didn't mean to be nasty to him. However, what James did didn't seem like a joke. Portia thought that something was wrong with her or her belongings.

"Sorry James."

James raised his eyebrows. "What the hell for?"

"For being rude, I didn't realise you were joking."

"I didn't think you were being rude, I thought you looked funny." James sat back on the seat next to Sirius.

Portia smiled and looked out of the window again. She was guessing that this trip to Hogwarts was going to be very interesting.

Then Portia heard a whisper and turned her head to look at Sirius and James who were now looking out of the compartment door.

"What are you looking at?" asked Portia curiously.

"Someone out there is watching us," said Sirius. "I'm just trying to see who it is."

Portia turned her head to see out of the door. She couldn't really see since the window was quite dirty from condensation and dirt. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I think it's a boy with long hair, but it might be a girl with short hair," replied James.

"That narrows it down doesn't it James?" laughed Sirius.

Then the door opened to reveal a boy with long black hair. Portia studied the boy's hair quickly. It was black and it shone from... grease, Portia was sure it was grease.

The boy looked to Portia and then looked to Sirius and James. "Do you mind if I sit in here?" he asked.

Sirius glanced at Portia and then glanced back to the boy. "Sorry, we were waiting for someone else."

Again the boy looked to Portia and looked back to Sirius and James. "That's okay; I know when I'm not wanted." He turned around before Portia heard him mutter, "Stupid gits."

And it all happened so fast; James and Sirius got up from their seat, took out their wands and had the boy two feet in the air. The boy remained quiet, but he still moved around trying to reach his wand.

Portia held her head in her hands. "Sirius please stop it." She wasn't one for violence and bullying.

Sirius looked over to Portia while holding his wand in the air. "Portia you heard what this slime ball called us, didn't you?"

Portia nodded. "But you can't do that, were not even allowed to do magic yet and you're doing spells."

"Come on Portia learn to live," said James

"James do I look dead to you? Now just let him down... please," added Portia. She remembered to keep her manners in line.

They both looked at each other and after about a second, James sighed and muttered something. Portia then heard a thud outside the compartment and she jumped up to see if the boy on the other end was okay.

The boy was lying on the floor. His hair covered his face, so it was hard to see if he was alright. Portia walked past James and Sirius and kneeled next to him. "Are you alright?"

The boy dragged up his hand and moved his hair out of the way revealed a young face with black eyes. The eyes were dark; very dark. It was hard to see where the pupils began and when they finished. The eyes looked at Portia and started to dart across her face.

"Yeah I'm okay, no thanks to them two." The boy pointed at Sirius and James. "They could have done something dangerous."

"Shut it grease face, we know what were doing, don't we James?" Sirius looked to James confidently.

"Yeah, of course we do, were not thick."

Portia really had the feeling to say otherwise, but decided it wasn't worth the trouble. She extended her hand to help the boy up.

"Thanks." The boy took her hand and Portia lifted him up. "I'm Severus Snape."

"I'm Portia Boyd, it's a pleasure to meet you, and this is James Potter and Sirius Black." Portia looked to James and Sirius.

The boy, Severus Snape quickly looked in Sirius's direction and smiled evilly. "I can't wait to tell your mother that you've broken rules already Black, she'll be so pleased."

Portia looked to Sirius is surprise. "Will she?"

Sirius shook his head. "He's being sarcastic Portia; my mother wouldn't be pleased at all, so you," he looked back at Severus, "better not tell her Snape!" It sounded more like a command than a threat, but either way Severus took Sirius's hint of anger and left quickly, he didn't even say goodbye to Portia.

"Thank god, I thought we were going to be invited to join a bath with him," said James.

"Don't be stupid James, I don't think he's heard of a bath," laughed Sirius.

The two boys walked back inside the compartment laughing to each other. Portia stood by herself thinking. "I wonder how Severus knows Sirius's mother; the Blacks must be well known and respected." Then she heard Sirius call her.

"Portia are you coming back in?"

Portia nodded and walked back into the compartment and sat back down. For the rest of the trip Sirius and James talked to her about everything in the world. Quidditch; a game Portia had heard her father talk about, exploding snap; a popular game and Hogwarts. Hogwarts was the main conversation.

"The subjects seem quite fun," said James. "I mean transfiguration sounds great; all that morphing into animals and turning animals into water goblets. What could be better?"

"I heard that defence against the dark arts is a brilliant subject," answered Sirius. "You get to learn about werewolves, vampires and banshees. Fight boggarts and learn hexes and curses. Now what could be better than that?"

"I think that the best subjects will be in third year," explained Portia. "I mean muggle studies sound interesting and Arithmancy sounds very exciting, but I bet there not safe for first and second years."

"I agree, care of magical creatures sounds really dangerous," said Sirius.

"Anyway what house do you think you'll get into Portia?" asked James.

"I don't really know, Ravenclaw sounds okay and so does Gryffindor, they were the houses my mother and father were in."

"If it has something to do with family, then I'll be in Slytherin, that's my family's house," explained Sirius sadly. "Every person in my family so far has been in Slytherin, even my cousin Andromeda and she married a muggle born."

"Really?" asked James looking interested.

"Yeah and she's expecting a kid, my mum and dad took her off our family tree, said she wasn't good enough to be on there, but it's only a piece of parchment with the family on and a few foreign words on it that mean always pure or something like that."

"Not trying to be nasty or rude but your family sounds a bit twisted mate," said James.

"Don't worry about it I think the same thing, I swear they must have adopted me or something. I'm nothing like them."

Portia smiled politely at Sirius. She didn't want Sirius to think that she felt sorry for him. She didn't know why but she happened to agree with James; Sirius's family sounded like they were crazy. "So Sirius, have you any brothers or sisters?"

"Yeah a little brother, he's about two years younger than me."

"That's nice, what about you James?"

"No, I'm an only child and I prefer it that way, it means no major responsibilities for me yet, I can be as free as a bird." James smiled. "What about you Portia? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No I want a sister, but I doubt I will get one," Portia frowned.

"Why?" asked James.

"Because I know how babies are made and I know my mother and father don't do it anymore," explained Portia.

James looked at Portia in confusion. "Do what?"

Sirius chuckled and put his arm round James. "James, there's something I better tell you."

After explaining to James all about the ways of life and watching James nearly vomit, Sirius and James left the compartment allowing Portia to get changed into her new robes. She packed her other clothes away and decided to take a walk down the corridor of the train. She left the compartment hoping James and Sirius would return soon and began to walk. She walked at a slow pace observing every detail of the train and listening to peoples voices.

Then she walked past a compartment and heard someone say, "Portia?"

She turned around to see the face of her old best friend; Sofia Ray. Portia looked again at the girl with bright red hair and blue eyes; whose nose was covered in freckles. Portia couldn't believe what she was seeing; her old best friend, the one she thought she would never see again; the one who was a MUGGLE.

"What are you doing here Sofia? You're a muggle." It did sound rude but it was true, she was.

"A what?" asked the girl called Sofia. She smiled slightly; she seemed amused.

"A muggle, a non magical person, you can't be going to Hogwarts."

"I know amazing isn't it, but hold on then you must be a muggle too, you're not a witch," said Sofia repeating nearly what Portia had just said.

"I am, I've always been a witch; ever since I was born," explained Portia.

"It can't be true, you would have told me."

Portia began to feel guilty. Usually she would have told Sofia, but her parents forbid for anyone to know. "I would have, but my parents forbid me to tell anyone, even wizards and witches just in case they weren't wizards and witches." Portia frowned.

"That's okay, I only found out a few weeks ago when I was on holiday; they were owls all over the hotel and the owners kept trying to shoot them, but they missed; they had bad aim." Sofia seemed to have forgotten all about Portia not telling her about her being a witch. "And we went to this place called the Leaky Caldron and I bought all this really busting stuff." Portia smiled; busting the word Sofia had adopted when she went to Tollington a few years back.

"I see you haven't given up on your words then," laughed Portia.

"One day they will be brilliant and everyone will be saying them and I" Sofia pointed to herself. "Will be the greatest person in the world." Sofia tried to look serious but when she saw Portia smile she laughed. Sofia had many flaws (as Portia's mother called them). One of them was her none stop laughing ability, which would last for a long time. Portia remembered the day when Sofia thought of a bar of soap; Portia didn't get it though. Also Portia didn't want to remember Sofia rolling down a hill and breaking her leg; some things scar you for life and seeing someone's bone nearly coming out of their flesh was one of them.

"So how have you been?" asked Portia.

"Not bad, just the normal stuff that just really annoys you from time to time, you?"

"Not bad either, I think I am now an abandoned child."

"Why?"

"My mother and father didn't wave me off when I left, they left first." Portia smiled a little, trying to not show she was hurt.

Sofia shook her head. "Don't worry I saw them before I was boarding, they were talking to some people."

Portia shrugged not knowing what to say next; what was she supposed to say anyway? She had been split up from her best friend to find her on the same train a few weeks later. She was shocked, she was annoyed and she was so happy to see her again.

So now she had two friends with her now, Sofia and Katie. Hopefully Portia would see Katie later, but for now she was going to spend some time with her other friend; her muggle born friend.