73Here is the second chapter! Enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Darren Shan and Harry Potter series.
Hogwarts Express
It took me and Mr. Crepsley a couple of days to get to the train station mentioned in the letter.
"Ummm… it says that the train which is called Hogwarts Express is at the platform 9¾…" Wait, 9¾? I read the letter again. Am I seeing things here? I looked at Mr. Crepsley who was standing beside me for an answer. It was morning now and Mr. Crepsley was not very happy about it. He was hiding in the corners and shades to avoid the daylight.
"Looks like you will have to go in between this pillar." He said as he pointed to a pillar which had the signs, platform 9 on one side and platform 10 on another.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked unsurely. In the pillar?
"Yes. It's just some sort of magic," Mr. Crepsley said. I could tell by his tone that he didn't like magic. "Now go on. I will meet you at the school." He said as he passed the luggage to me.
"You're not going on the train?"
"I would rather go by foot. I hate transports. Besides I don't want attention from humans."
"Yeah I guess that's right. You'll probably creep everyone out on the train because of what you wear." I smirked. He was wearing a long red robe which covered up his whole body from head to toe. He was pale, just like every vampire was, and the long scar on his face. Overall, I could only describe him with one word…ugly.
I looked at the pillar in front of me. Do I really have to do this? "Go on Darren. We have no time to waste." Mr. Crepsley pushed me forward. "Just take a run." I took a deep breath and ran towards the pillar. I closed my eyes when I was in front of it. I didn't feel anything when I went through so I opened my eyes.
It looked just like an ordinary train platform. Except the sign on it said platform 9¾, and the train waiting there was a very long – I mean the word very. Wow…magic…how cool could this be? People were getting on the train. I got on the train, found myself an empty carriage and settled in. I took out a book and started reading. I haven't read a book in ages and this one was just to keep me occupied. I heard the horn of the train. It was about to leave the station.
"WAIT!" I heard someone shout outside the train so I looked out the window. There were two boys around the age of 15 running towards the train with their luggage, waving as they ran along. One of them had ginger hair and the other one had messy black hair. I watched them until they hopped on the train. I didn't take much notice and concentrated on my book again. A few minutes later there was a knock on my carriage door. It slid open and there stood the two boys who were catching the train.
"Can I help you?" I put my book down.
"Yes…we wondered,' the ginger haired boy said. "If we can join you here since all the carriages are full."
"Sure of course." They stepped in the carriage and sat themselves down, with the ginger haired boy next to me and the black haired one opposite.
"Thanks mate. That helps a lot. What's your name? I am Ron and he is Harry." The ginger haired boy said.
"Darren, Darren Shan." I said as they shook hands with me. I felt kind of weird because it had been ages since I had talked to a normal person – well, they might not be so normal because they know magic, but it was still far normal then vampires.
"So, I've never seen you before, you're new to this school?" Ron asked.
"Yes."
"That's kind of weird." Harry suddenly said. I had just noticed that he had a lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead. That's kind of cool. Did he done that on purpose? "It's rare that a boy your age is coming to Hogwarts as a new student. It's usually the younger ones that are new… have you learn magic before?"
"Ah…No…I kind of know nothing about magic." I replied.
"So you are a muggle-born?" Ron asked.
"Muggle what?"
"A muggle-born. That means your parents are non-magic." Harry explained.
"Well I guess so…" wizard language and terms. Damn it.
"I wonder where Hermione is…" Ron said suddenly as he looked out the carriage.
"Hermione?"
"Oh, it's just a girl he fancies which is a very close friend to us." Harry explained.
"I don't fancy her!" Ron exclaimed. "I'm just wondering! And, Besides…who would fancy that…erm…annoying miss-who-knows-everything?"
"Oh so that's what you call me behind my back." A voice suddenly said. We all looked towards where the voice came from. By the carriage door stood an attractive girl with long ash-blonde hair.
"Hermione." Harry said. So she is Hermione.
"It's not polite to listen to people's conversation…" Ron muttered.
"Well when you were talking behind someone's back you should be quieter. I heard your voice from the end of the corridor!" Hermione said as she sat down beside Harry. Then she spotted me. "Oh sorry about that." She held her hand out to me and I shook it. "My name is Hermione, nice to meet you."
"Mine is Darren, nice to meet you too." I gave her a grin.
"So, what are you guys talking about?" She asked.
"Oh nothing special really, just asking things about Darren." Harry said.
"Want anything from the trolley, sweethearts?" A woman with a trolley full of sweets passed by our carriage.
"Oh yes, can I have some Bertie Botts every flavour beans and some chocolate frogs please." Ron gave the money to the woman.
"All you care about is eating, isn't it?" Hermione mocked him.
"I can do whatever I like, OK?" Ron retorted.
"Well yeah do whatever…but later on please do not ask me for any weight losing potion because I don't have any." She said. Me and Harry giggled at the side.
I watched as Ron opened his package of sweets. As the packet ripped opened, something small hopped out really fast from the packet. I acted on my reflex and caught the thing in my left hand. I opened it slowly to see what it was. It was a frog made of chocolate. And it moves.
"Hey where'd it go?" Ron asked.
"Here."
"Wow I didn't see you catch that."
"Oh I just have better reflexes than other people." I said as I passed the frog back to Ron. He took it from me and swallowed it. Ew. Gross…guess I will just have to cope with the unusual things in this world of magic.
The train arrived at the station in about 2 hours later. We took our luggage and hopped off the train. Harry was walking in front of me. A boy came up from behind and bashed into the side of Harry. I could see that he was doing it on purpose.
"Potter! Watch where you are going!" the boy said. He had very light blonde hair. There were two boys following him.
"Leave him alone Malfoy." Ron warned him.
"What're you going to do? Curse me with that terrible skill of your magic?" Malfoy mocked him.
"You…" Ron grew red and took out a stick from his pocket. What can he do with that little stick? Harry stepped in between them. "Calm down Ron, he's not worth it."
Ron hesitated, and put the stick back in to his pocket."Yeah I guess you are right Harry."
"Oh looks like little Potter is scared." Malfoy teased.
"You're just pathetic Malfoy." Harry ignored him. "Let's go guys."
Then Malfoy spotted me. "Hey you're new here? Come on I can show you around. Don't go with them." He was trying to pull me into his little gang.
"No thanks I don't like following people." I refused. I disliked him at the first sight. He looked cocky and I could tell by his tone that he thought he was better than everyone else.
Malfoy glared, "Then watch yourself. Whoever you are."
"Name is Darren. And I don't need you to remind me. I can take care of myself." I said coolly. Malfoy's face grew red. I could tell that he wanted to punch me.
"Alright kids. Get a move on!" someone shouted behind me. I turned around and saw a big, I mean giant man standing there. He had long, thick, messy hair and beard, covering his mouth.
"Watch it." Malfoy gave me one last evil glare and walked away with the two other boys.
"Hi Hagrid." Harry, Ron and Hermione said.
"Hi kids!" He looked at me. "So you're the new boy! I have been expecting you. Professor Dumbledore wants to talk to you before assembly starts." He took my luggage from my hand. "Come with me."
"Well we guess we will see you in the great hall then." Harry said. I gave a small nod to them in respond and followed Hagrid.
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