//------------------------------// // The Journey on the Hogwarts Express // Story: MLP at Hogwarts // by SeleneMizutani //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash POV A month later (September the First) Finally! It's the big day! (squeals like a fangirl) Mum, Dad, Blitz, and I set off very early, at 9:00. We arrived at King's Cross an hour and half later. I packed my trunk the day before. I put my robes, books, and stuff in there, but some extra things to make me feel more at home. I originally wanted to bring both my electric and acoustic guitars, but Blitz pointed out that electricity may not work over there at Hogwarts. So, I decided on my acoustic guitar and some personal stuff of mine. Of course, I brought Engine with me. (Remember who he is? Rainbow's pet owl) King's Cross was very big. Platforms lined every wall of the place. Blitz was carrying my trunk for me an he put it on a trolley nearby. I found platform 9 straight away and platform 10 beside it, with a ticket box separating the two. "Huh? Where's this platform nine and three-quarters??" wondered Mum. I answered,"Duh, they're wizards. It must be somewhere but hidden in some way." We didn't dare ask someone about the platform nine and three quarters, someone might think we lost our minds, since they are Muggles. Well, Mum, Dad and Blitz are Muggles too. Suddenly, a family of three consisting of a man, a woman and a boy pushing another trolley entered the train station. What's more, they had an owl with them. "Muggles everywhere...I say, where's the platform?" asked the woman, who was pushing the trolley. The boy about my age replied,"Nine and three quarters! You remember?" I shyly walked over to then and asked,"Excuse me, but are you a wizarding family? I don't know how to get on the platform." "It's easy. Walk straight at the ticket box over there and don't be scared you'll crash. That's the main point." the boy answered. The man added,"Oh, and by the way, we're the Skies Family. One of the remaining pure-blood families in the world. Our son, Soarin, is starting this year too." Dad, Mum and Blitz also approached us and Dad said,"Our daughter is the magical one in our family." "What about Mum and Dad?" I asked,"Could they come on the platform with me?" "No, sorry, You have to say goodbye here." replied Soarin Skies. I turned to my family. "Good luck, Dashie. Write to us." said Mum, failing to hold back her tears. "I will." I replied as Blitz stepped forward. He said,"Here, wear this. As a memento." He gave me a stunning rainbow charm bracelet and I put it on. "Thanks, Blitz. Well, see you next summer." I answered. Soarin's mother interrupted,"Soarin will go first and you can follow him." Soarin walked forward holding his trolley and started running. He didn't collide with the ticket box, instead disappeared through it. "Bye!" I called, as I rushed forward, pushing my trolley, and was about to meet the crash, when... It didn't come. I was on a platform. A sign overhead said: Hogwarts Express. A wrought-iron archway had appeared where the ticket box once was, saying:Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. I did it. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to the platform, steam gushing out from the chimney. People were everywhere I could see, chatting and talking to each other. I suddenly felt very left out. The boy Soarin had disappeared into the crowd, along with his parents, who followed me through the ticket box. Pushing my trolley, with Engine's cage on top, I wandered from train compartment to train compartment, but all of them were full. Well, except for the one in the end. A girl with blonde hair, green eyes, and country clothes was in the compartment. She saw me and smiled warmly. "Howdy. Need some help with your trunk?" she greeted. She also had a country accent to her voice. I nodded, and with impressive strength, she lifted up my trunk and the cage, and put them down on the nearest luggage rack. "Thank you. I'm Rainbow Dash, by the way." I said. "I'm Applejack. A half-blood." Applejack replied. I asked,"Which of your parents are a witch or a wizard?" "My mother was a witch. Well, until she died." she answered. "Really? I'm so sorry." "Never mind. Anyway, actually I'm a descendant of Harry Potter. His granddaughter married my grandfather, they gave birth to my mum and uncle, and Mum married a Muggle from the Apple family. That's why I'm a Apple and a Potter." I said,"Wow. I read about Harry Potter from my extra books. I'm a Muggle-born. I only knew I was a witch when I got the owl." "I've been looking for this day forever. I knew about Hogwarts since when I was a little girl." said Applejack. I sighed,"I wish I could be like that too. I want to know everything I could know about the wizarding world." "Hey, actually you should be a Ravenclaw with minds like that." commented Applejack. Suddenly, the compartment door slid open. Fluttershy walked in. "Um...can I join you? All the other compartments are full." she whispered, but I heard her. "Sure!" I replied, as Fluttershy found a seat next to me. Now I'm in the middle, with Fluttershy on my left and Applejack on my right. A voice rang out: The Hogwarts Express will leave in 5...4...3...2...1! A whistle sounded and the train started slowly moving. Applejack and Fluttershy both leaned out of the window and waved to their parents. I wish Mum and Dad were here. Fluttershy noticed the awkward silence among us. "Rainbow, what's the matter?" I answered sadly,"I miss my mum and dad. they would love to come with me but the problem is on the barrier." "Aw, sugarcube. I also miss my parents. They just found a hour to see me off and they have to go back to work. They're always busy." comforted Applejack. I cheered up and said,"Well, how's it like at Hogwarts?" Fluttershy, the only pure-blood in our group, started telling us about the Sorting, the lessons there, and much more. Time flies. Two hours have passed and we were starting to get hungry. The compartment door opened again and a witch pushing a trolley went in. "Anything off the trolley, girls? You must be hungry." she greeted. We took out our money bags, and bought some stuff. "Huh? What are these? Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans? Chocolate Frogs?" I wondered aloud. Applejack replied,"Oh, you're a Muggle-born, that's why you don't know. Chocolate Frogs, hence the name, are frogs made from chocolate. There are cards of famous witches and wizards to collect too! Like this one I've got. Dumbledore." I opened one of the Frogs and tasted it. It was good. I took out the card and found: Harry Potter. "Harry Potter is the most famous wizard in wizarding history. He had escaped the evil Dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, countless time and eventually succeeded in killing him for good. His friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, ran the joke shop Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and became Minister for Magic, while Harry Potter himself was Head of Magical Law Department. " I read. Applejack peered at the card. "Yeah, that's my ancestor." she said. I said wistfully,"Being related to such a famous wizard is good, right?" "Not really. People bombard me with questions at me like I'm a celebrity all the time. It's annoying." she replied. I finished the Chocolate Frog and went to open a pack of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans. "Be careful with that." warned Applejack. "Why?" I asked. Fluttershy answered,"When you mean every flavor, it's really every flavor. You can get chocolate, strawberry, coconut, and a lot more, but you can also get grass, bogey, earwax, and everything you could think of." "I love good dares. Hey Applejack, I dare you to eat this!" I said playfully, taking out a weird green one. Applejack popped it into her mouth and gagged. "Blech! It's broccoli." she said. We spent another hour eating our food, but I saved a Chocolate Frog and some Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans for Blitz. He loves candy so much. Yeah, he drools every time he sees something sweet in front of him. Fluttershy started telling us about her brother, who owns a broomstick and what he did the past weekend. "Zephyr was such an idiot! I told him not to and he just grabbed the broomstick and kicked off! I went after him on land, but before I knew it, he smashed headlong into a tree, ricocheted off it, hit our house, leaving a dent, and smashed on a Muggle helicopter! The Muggles on scene needed a Memory Charm!" said Fluttershy. I burst into laughter. That was so funny. "But what's a Memory Charm?" Applejack asked. Fluttershy replied,"A charm used to modify other people's memories." The train compartment burst open for the third time I was inside it. A girl with fiery orange and yellow hair, orange skin and bright turquoise eyes, accompanied with a girl with yellow-ochre hair, mint skin and ochre eyes, and another girl with white hair, ochre eyes, and light brown skin stormed inside. "Who the freaking hell are you??" asked Applejack rudely. The girl with fiery hair replied, smirking,"I'm Sunset Shimmer, and this is Lightning Dust and Gilda." Assuming from their looks, I guess Lightning Dust is the girl with yellow-ochre hair. "Since you are first-years, (which we are too, in a matter-of fact) we should warn you, don't mess with us." said Lightning Dust. She snatched up my cage with Engine in it. Gilda cooed (see sarcasm?),"Aw, what a cutie? Who's owl is this?" "Mine." I replied, staring at the ground. Sunset Shimmer stalked over to me. "Listen close, rainbow freak." She pulled me up by my hair. "We are the most popular girls in this year. Mess with us and I swear you will pay." she threatened. I stuttered,"Y...Yes..." Sunset threw me back onto the ground. "And by the way, I can read minds, so tread around me carefully!" she added, before tossing her hair and strutting back out of the compartment, flanked by Lightning Dust and Gilda. "Mudblood." I heard a distinctive voice say.