Chapter 4
Platform nine and three quarters waited peacefully on September 1st, 1962, as young wizards and witches arrived with their families to go to Hogwarts. Everyone crowded the platform as a steam engine waited to be loaded.
Bellatrix walked gingerly along with her father and her two sisters. She was more than nervous for being the first of her generation in her family to go to Hogwarts, and who knows what would happen once she was there.
"Bellatrix, you'll be fine. I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends at Hogwarts, and your sisters and I will make sure to write to you a bunch." Cygnus told his daughter as he hugged her goodbye.
"I'll miss you, Bella. I'm sure Andromeda will too but she doesn't want to show it." Narcissa joked.
This made Bellatrix laugh as she hugged her youngest sister.
"That's not true! It will be better without you around." Andromeda said smoothly.
"I'll miss you too, Andromeda. Now, I should probably catch the train." Bellatrix said before running to the train entrance.
Bellatrix walked the corridor of the train to find a compartment that she could sit in. After a long moment of traveling through the corridors, Bellatrix had found a place to sit.
She sat down in the empty compartment and looked out the window to see everyone waving goodbye. A sudden lurch indicated that the train had suddenly started to move. Bellatrix waved a few times to the families on the platform before all that she could see was a rainy day in London.
"What's got you down?"
Bellatrix looked up to see a young girl who was around her age. The girl had light blonde hair and was wearing a striking green jacket. She sat down in the seat opposite of Bellatrix.
"I'm not 'down'." Bellatrix replied.
"Well, then what's with the grim look on your face?" The girl asked.
"Please, just leave me alone."
The young girl leaned back in her seat to give Bellatrix a bit more room.
"By the way, my name's Rita Skeeter. What's yours?" Rita said happily.
"Didn't I tell you to leave me alone? There's plenty of other compartments to sit in, so go away." Bellatrix said calmly as she looked back at the window.
"But, there really isn't."
"Fine, you can sit here, just stop being so annoying... also, my name is Bellatrix Black."
"Black? You're from the Black family? Aren't they-"
"Now you're just being plain rude. Just shut up already Rita." Bellatrix interrupted.
After about thirty minutes, Rita had found herself writing something in her journal, while Bellatrix sat in silence, continuing to stare out the window. By that time the only sounds were of Rita's quill scratching across the paper.
The sound of a trolley rolling through the corridor of the train was soon heard by the two girls. Bellatrix looked up from the window in curiosity. Rita sat still for a moment before standing up to meet the trolley outside the compartment. A moment later Rita had come back with her hands full of sweets.
"What is that?" Bellatrix asked as she saw Rita enter the compartment once again.
"Sweets and Pastries and stuff like that. You want some?" Rita said as she smiled brightly.
"Why not. I'm starving."
"While we eat we could play a game of wizard chess. I mean, if you don't want to go back to your daydreaming."
"No. I can't." Bellatrix suddenly looked down as her face became pale.
"If you don't know how to play I can teach you," Rita replied, confused.
"I know how to play, but... It's just..."
"What?"
"Well, I always used to play wizard chess with my mum, but the last time I played it, was the... the day sh-she died." Bellatrix had begun to cry softly.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize."
"It's fine. But I'd rather if that secret stayed in between you and me." Bellatrix wiped her tears away and sat back up.
"Okay. I promise I won't tell." Rita said as she held out her hand.
Bellatrix quickly shook Rita's hand and smiled.