Hogwarts Express

What happened before:

Draco laughed. "Sadly, yes."

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"The other students are arriving," Draco informed her.

Ruby set her book down. "I see Hermione!"

"I've got to go, see you later?"

"Okay." Ruby agreed.

Ruby was puzzled, but soon was full of delight when she spotted Hermione.

"Hermione!" She called when the girl was walking by her compartment.

Hermione smiled. "Hi there. Ruby, Right?"

"Yes. Would you care to sit with me? This compartment is empty."

"Only if you don't mind my obnoxious two friends joining me later?" Hermione laughed.

"Not at all. I can always move if I do find them obnoxious, but I think your friends are bound to be great."

"Thanks." Hermione grinned. "I hear them coming."

Two boys entered the compartment, completely breathless and looking tired.

"Hermione, you'll never guess what happened." The red-head began as the train started moving.

"What?"

"We were running through the barrier, pulling our luggage behind us, when the cart got stuck in the wall! We had to drag our trunks all the way instead of pushing the cart! I think someone closed the barrier on us!"

Hermione frowned in concentration. "That would take some very strange magic."

Ruby picked up her book again. The movement caused Hermione to notice her.

"Oh, sorry. Guys, this is Ruby,"

"I'm Ronald Weasley." the red-head spoke through a mouthful of chocolate.

"Harry Potter." the black-haired boy said.

"Harry Potter?" Ruby echoed. "I literally just briefly heard about you about five minutes ago, I'm so sorry about your parents. I lost my parents when I was one as well."

"Do you remember them?" Harry asked, sympathizing.

"I'm cursed with an eidetic memory, so I remember everything."

"That's terrible." Hermione sighed.

"I know, but: Life goes on, whether you're ready or not. Living in the past will leave you far behind, and if you stay too long, you'll have no reason to live."

"Who's that from?" Hermione asked.

"No one. I just say whatever comes to my head at the most random times, and it sounds like a book. Sorry."

"No, it was good." Hermione waved off the apology. "It makes sense, and it's like a warning and common sense at the same time."

"Anything from the trolly, dears?"

Ruby loved wizard candy. She had no favorites, but she preferred chocolate of any kind to the other kinds of candy.

So when the Potter boy across from her offered them all some candy, Ruby knew her answer.

She settled for the chocolate frogs nearest her, pouting occasionally in the direction of the pile across from her.

Harry caught her disgruntled look with a laugh. "Do you want another?"

"Yes! No. I shouldn't, don't tempt me." Ruby admonished.

Harry laughed again.

Ruby glared at the pile again. "Guys, it's taunting me."

Hermione chuckled. "I think all girls are addicted to chocolate."

Ruby groaned. "I should go before they start screaming my name."

Ruby shuddered as she walked out of the compartment, and as she left, she heard the conversation start back up again.

They'd never eaten chocolate at the orphanage, in fact, she'd never had candy until she was ten.

Someone had dropped off a bag of candy on Halloween, and they each got one piece. It was delicious, but after tasting chocolate, Ruby was over the sour candies.

She wandered down the halls, hoping to find more first years. As she did, she heard pieces of conversations all around her.

"And his second book! I love the picture on that one!"

"He's so handsome!" Another girl squealed.

Ruby noted the DADA books they held. She'd read all of them, but know she wished she hadn't. That stupidly incredible memory wouldn't let her forget them.

She walked past an open compartment, then heard her name be called. She backtracked towards the opening and saw Draco inside.

"Hi." Ruby greeted the others. "I'm Ruby Ravenwing."

"Daphne Greengrass." spoke a blond witch.

The small witch next to the blond witch went next. "Astoria Greengrass."

"Tracy Davis." next was the brunette.

"Theodore Nott." the boy with a book and glasses.

The boy with brown hair and blue eyes. "Blaize Zabini."

They all shook hands, except Theodore and Blaize who responded in the pureblood fashion by kissing her hand instead.

"Care to sit?" Draco invited.

"As long as you don't have any chocolate. I had to escape my last compartment because they were calling my name." Ruby joked.

"All girls like chocolate." Astoria grinned. "Don't worry. We already ate it all."

"Thank goodness." Ruby breathed. "What year are you all in?"

Draco spoke up. "We're all in our second year except Astoria, who's starting her first."

"I'm a first-year too," Ruby told them, mostly for Astoria's benefit since she wouldn't know.

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Ruby and Astoria talked about various things as the Hogwarts Express sped across the countryside.

When the train stopped at the Hogwarts station, Ruby was surprised at how short it had seemed.

"What do we do with our trunks?" Astoria poked Daphne to get her attention.

"Just leave them on the train, someone will deliver them to your dormitories after the feast."

The group stepped off the train, splitting up when a large bear-like man called the first years to follow him.

Astoria and Ruby gasped at the sight of Hogwarts, looming in the distance. The blond girl across from them in the boat wasn't even looking in the castle's direction, instead, she was studying a magazine, which she held upside-down.

"I'll take them from here, Hagrid." Minerva McGonagall appeared at the top of the stairs, and Ruby had the feeling she said that every year.

"Hello, professor."

"Hello, Ruby." Minerva greeted warmly before addressing the other students.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Ruby knew a practiced speech when she saw one, the orphanage had given them for years.

She combed her fingers through her soft locks, tucking the stray pieces behind her ears.