The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry, Hagrid and Emaline made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, and back through the Leaky Cauldron, which has become empty. Emaline returned to her room and dropped off all of her supplies, and then returned to the pub to meet with Hagrid and Harry, who were having a large bowl of stew. "You all right, Harry?" said Hagrid. "You seem a bit quiet."
"He killed my parents, didn't he? The one who gave me this?" Harry said as he touched his scar. "You know Hagrid, I know you do."
"Course I know. Who do yeh think carried yeh out o' yer parents' house, On Halloween night, ten years ago?" said Hagrid, "Who do yeh think brought yeh ter Dumbledore an' watched him lay yeh on yer Aunt an' Uncle's doorstep? 'Course I know, Harry." He then pushed his large bowl of soup to the side. "Firs', understand this; 'cause it's important: not all wizards are good. Some go bad. A few years ago, there was this one wizard who went as bad as you could go. And his name was V---" He stopped abruptly. "Maybe if you wrote it down?" said Harry. "No, I can't spell it," said Hagrid. "All right. Voldemort," he said with a whisper. "Voldemort?" said Harry very loudly. "Shh!!" Hagrid and Emaline said. "Keep your voice down!" Emaline said quietly. She did not say another word after that. Harry looked around to see if anyone had listened.
"Dark days those were, Harry," Hagrid continued, "Voldemort started lookin some 'fer followers. Brought them over to the dark side. Anyone that stood up to him ended up dead. Your parents fought against him. No one lived once he decided to kill 'em. Nobody. Not one. 'Cept you."
"Me?" Harry said quietly. "Voldemort tried to kill...me?"
"Yes," Hagrid replied. He pointed at Harry's scar. "That ain't no ordinary cut on your forehead, Harry. For a mark like that comes from being touched by a curse. An evil curse."
"Whatever happened to Vol...to You-Know-Who?" Emaline asked.
"Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. I reckon. Nope, but I think he's out there somewhere, jus' too weak to carry on." said Hagrid, "But one thing's fer certain, Harry. Somethin' about you stumped him that night. That's why you're famous. That's why ev'ryone knows yer name. You're The Boy Who Lived."
"Emaline," said Hagrid, "Harry and I should be going. We'll see you tomorrow at King's Cross Station."
"I'll be there," she said. Hagrid shook Emaline's hand.
"Bye, Emaline," said Harry. He reached his hand out to her to shake it. "It was a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Mr. Potter.", she said, shaking his hand and bowing before him. "See you at school." She winked at him and Hagrid and then they walked away. As soon as she returned to her room, Emaline put on her pajamas and took out a piece of parchment and a pen and wrote a letter to her mother:
Dear Mom,
The first day in London went well. Got all of my supplies in Diagon Alley, a new broomstick for Quidditch, and a new owl. I named him Newton. You'll meet him when you get this letter. But that is not the best part, I met Harry Potter and hung out with him all day long! It was a dream come true! Anyway, I hope things are going well over in the States. Be sure to give Dad, Thomas, and Allie all my love. I can't wait to see all of you this Thanksgiving. I miss you a lot.
With love from,
Emaline
She gave Newton her letter and he flew off. Emaline then turned off the light and went to bed.
King's Cross Station. A few days later.
After a few more days at the Leaky Cauldron, the day she has been waiting for had finally arrived. Emaline was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. She put on her Quidditch jacket, a Portland Timbers jersey from the 1970s, and put her belongings into her Thunderbird messenger bag from Ilvermorny, which she enchanted with the Undetectable Extension Charm. After paying for her room, she walked out to the courtyard where she, Hagrid, and Harry entered Diagon Alley and apparated to King's Cross Station. She was learning how to do it from her father, who was a master of it. She still has yet to suffer the side-effect known as splinching. "Need to find a place to get all of my stuff out," she said to herself. Emaline walked into an alley and brought all of her belongings out from her enchanted messenger bag and began to walk out to the station to Platforms 9 and 10. Suddenly, she saw a familiar face. A boy with black hair and glasses and that recognizable scar.
"Have a good term," a man in the car said with a nasty smile at Harry. The man saw Emaline walk up to his car. "Good morning," she said politely. "Good morning," he said coldly. "Are you one of Harry's new friends?"
"I guess you can say that," she replied. "So...you must be Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley. Harry has told me all about you." Uncle Vernon did not say another word.
Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing. "Well...you weren't wrong about them, Harry." Emaline said as she folded her arms. "Yep," said Harry.
"Ready to go?" Emaline asked.
"Yep."
"Emaline!" a distant voice suddenly cried. It came from an old man with a white beard and head of black and silver hair wearing a tie and a peacoat and wore a hat. Emaline knew exactly who it was. It was Agilbert Fontaine, the professor of Nordic Runecraft and Deputy Headmaster at Ilvermorny School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry. He was Emaline's favorite teacher. "Professor Fontaine!" she said.
"How are you, my dear?" Agilbert asked, hugging her very tightly. He had a very thick Maine accent.
"Never been better!"
Harry walked up to them as if to see what the commotion was.
"Ooh, Harry," Emaline said as she noticed him and took his hand. "I want to introduce you to someone! This is my Potions teacher from Ilvermorny: Professor Agilbert Fontaine. He also teaches Nordic Runecraft and is the Head of Wampus House. Professor...I think you know who this is."
"Harry Potter..." said Agilbert. He shook Harry's hand. "It's an honor and a pleasure to meet you at last, young man."
"What's that accent?" Harry asked Emaline.
"He's from Maine," She whispered to him. "So what are you doing here, professor?"
"I just recently came from Hogwarts, actually. Had a talk with Dumbledore. He's looking forward to meeting you, Emaline. I wish I could escort you both but I have to return to Ilvermorny. I have to get ready for work. Anyway, your train leaves in 15 minutes."
He then handed her a ticket and she looked at it. "And I have one for you, Mr. Potter. Be sure to stick to your ticket, the both of you. Very important." He winked at Harry.
Harry looked at his ticket confused. "Platform 9 3/4?" she whispered. "But Professor? There must be a mistake. This says "Platform 9 3/4". There's no such thing. Is there?" She looked around to find Professor Fontaine but he had already vanished. They both began walking. Emaline noticed that Harry was getting desperate, but she remained completely calm. Their train was leaving in ten minutes and they had no idea of where they were supposed to go. "Ask one of the guards." Emaline said to Harry, hoping to get him to calm down. It wasn't working. "Maybe they know where Platform 9 3/4 is."
Harry stopped a passing guard and when he asked, he did not dare mention Platform 9 3/4. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts. "9 3/4? Think you're being funny, do you?" the guard said. He abruptly left, muttering about time-wasters. While Harry was trying not to panic, Emaline seemed completely calm. She was observing rather than participating.
At that moment, a group of people passed behind her and she caught word of what they were saying. "...packed with Muggles, of course..."
Emaline turned around. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys and a young girl, all with a head of flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's and her's and they had an owl.
"Harry," said Emaline. He turned around. She was pointing to the woman. "I think we should go with them. Just follow me." She pushed her cart after them and Harry followed her.
"So what's the name of the platform again?" said the boy's mother.
"Platform nine-and-three-quarters." said a younger girl who also has red hair and holding her mother's hand. "Why can't I go?"
"Because you're not old enough yet, Ginny." the woman said. "All right, Percy, you go first."
What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry and Emaline watched, careful not to blink, in case they missed it -- but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished. Emaline had a look of shock on her face. "Mercy Lewis!" she exclaimed.
"Fred, you next."
"He's not Fred, I am," said the boy. "Honestly woman. You call yourself our mother."
"Oh, sorry George."
"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so because a second later, he had gone -- but how had he done it?
Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there -- and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.
"I'll go first," said Emaline. "Excuse me?" She walked her cart up to the woman.
"Hello, dear." the woman said. She quickly noticed Emaline's American accent. "New to Hogwarts? Ron is too."
She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose. "Yes ma'am. I'm a sixth-year from Ilvermorny. I've been transferred for the year." she said.
"Ilvermorny?" the woman said. "I've heard of that school. Isn't it like Hogwarts, dear?"
"In a way, yes. I'm an American. So I was wondering if you knew..." Emaline stopped abruptly.
"How to get on the platform?" the woman said kindly. "Of course, Not to worry. Now all you've got to do is walk straight at the wall between platforms nine and ten. Best to get a running start, in case you get nervous."
"Okay," Emaline said nervously.
"Good luck," the little girl said.
Emaline started running towards the wall. In a quick second, she vanished from Harry's view and then opened her eyes and in front of her was a scarlet steam engine that was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Emaline looked behind her and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it, she did it and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Harry then appeared right next to her.
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks. "I'll catch you later!" said Emaline as she waved goodbye to Harry. She gave the conductor her belongings and walked into the train, carrying her messenger bag with the Thunderbird house crest from Ilvermorny with her and picked out the first empty compartment she laid her eyes on and, finally, took a seat. Suddenly the train began to move. Emaline saw parents waving goodbye to their children, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed.
But before she could have the compartment to herself. the door slid open and a red-haired girl who looked nothing like the family she just met appeared in front of her. She wore a necklace and was in school attire, wearing a blue and silver tie and had a notebook in her pocket and was carrying a cage.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi," said Emaline.
"Can I join you?"
"Please. Have a seat," Emaline smiled. The girl sat down.
"I'm Tulip Karasu. I'm a Seventh Year in Ravenclaw. You're not English."
"I'm not. I'm Emaline Goode. I've been transferred to Hogwarts from Ilvermorny for the year. I'm a sixth year. I think I might be the first Ilvermorny student to ever attend Hogwarts."
"So you're an American?" Tulip gasped. She suddenly became very excited. Emaline nodded. "Wow! I've read about Ilvermorny in History Of Magic class at Hogwarts. What's your house?"
"Thunderbird. The house that represents the soul and favors adventurers. But there's also Horned Serpent, Wampus, and Pukwudgie."
"Very interesting," said Tulip. "I heard they sort first years there differently than they do at Hogwarts. How do you know which house you're sorted into?"
"Well," said Emaline, "At Hogwarts, they sort you based on what traits you value beyond yourself but at Ilvermorny, they sort you based on how you define yourself and what tools you prefer to use in your approach in life. For instance, At Horned Serpent, you are defined by what you think or learn. At Pukwudgie, you are defined by what you feel, Wampus defines you by what you do and Thunderbird defines you by what you experience."
"Wow!" Tulip said excitedly, with her eyes all aglow. "This is amazing! I think I'm liking Ilvermorny already! So, what do you want to be when you get out of school?"
"I want to be an astronomer," she said, "I have been studying the night sky since I was a little kid. What's in the cage, by the way?"
"My pet toad. His name is Dennis."
"Hi, Tulip," a voice said. "Had a nice summer?"
The sliding door opened again and two more people walked in. They looked to be the same age as Tulip. One was wearing a blue hijab and had brown eyes. Another was a boy and had dark skin, black eyes and wore a purple and gold scarf and a shirt that said "Pride Of Portree" on it. They all sat down with Tulip and Emaline.
"Emaline, these are my friends," said Tulip, as she pointed to each of her friends. "They're in Ravenclaw with me. That's Badeea Ali and Andre Egwu." They smiled and waved at her and immediately shook her hand.
"Guys," said Tulip. "Emaline has been transferred from Ilvermorny to Hogwarts for the year." Suddenly, Tulip's friends were all curious about Emaline. It's as if they have never seen an American before and they began asking her random questions about Ilvermorny and America which went on for what felt like hours. While they were all talking, the train had already carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep.
At about noon, Emaline got out of her compartment and decided to take a look around the train to find Harry Potter, wherever he was. Suddenly, she found him, talking with the same red-haired boy she saw at King's Cross Station. She walked inside Harry's compartment and took a seat. "Hi, Harry," she said. She then turned her attention towards the red-haired boy. "Hi. I'm Emaline. Emaline Goode." The boy shook her hand. "I'm Ron Weasley," said Ron.
"What are you doing here, Emaline?" said Harry.
"Thought I'd come by and say hello," she replied.
There was then a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"
"No thanks. I'm all set," said Ron as he brought out a package of sandwiches. "I keep telling my mum that I don't like corned beef sandwiches. She doesn't really listen."
"I'll take them if you don't want, Ron." Emaline said. "I love corned beef." Ron agreed and gave her his bag of sandwiches and she put them in her messenger bag.
Emaline saw the group of goodies on the lady's cart including Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Emaline had never seen in America. Not wanting to miss anything, she got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts. "It's on me, boys," said Emaline.
"Thanks, Emaline," said Harry.
"Oh, if you don't mind boys, I have some goodies of my own from America I thought I'd share," said Emaline. She brought out a large bag from her messenger bag and dumped it onto the pile of candy on the seat where Ron and Harry were sitting. There were Snickering Snickerdoodles, Sweet Tart Shockers, Juicy Jackalope Jumpers, An American version of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Boom Boom Balls, Rainbow Pops, Lucky Clovers, Memorlings, and others. "Whoa," said Ron. "The holy grail. Thanks, Emaline."
"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).
"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him. "It's just a spell.", said Ron. "Besides it's the cards you want. Each pack's got a famous witch or wizard. Got about 500 myself."
"We don't have those in America," said Emaline who was eating a Pumpkin Pasty.
"You should!", Ron said. "Here. This one's for you. To start your collection." He gave her a Chocolate Frog. She opened it. The card showed a young woman with brown hair and wore a Gordian Knot necklace and, holding a wand in her hand. "Hey! I got Isolt Sayre!" she said.
"I got about 4 of her," said Ron, "She's a very rare card."
"Wait, who's Isolt Sayre?" said Harry.
"Oh. She's one of the co-founders of Ilvermorny," said Emaline. "She escaped her evil aunt and came to America and founded the school. She was a brilliant lady."
"What happened?" said Harry
"It's a long story," she said, "I'll tell you soon."
Then, Harry opened his Chocolate Frog. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.
"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.
"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa -- thanks."
Harry turned over his card and read:
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.
Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.
"He's gone!"
"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day, can you?" said Ron as he reached for a Snickering Snickerdoodle and bit into it. "Mmm. That sucks. I was hoping for Agrippa and I got Morgana Le Fay instead." he said as he was enjoying it until he belted out a loud laugh which startled Harry, but then he started giggling uncontrollably. "Now you gotta finish the whole thing, Ron." Emaline giggled. Ron kept on laughing and giggling as he ate the delicious cinnamon cookie until it was finally gone. Harry then proceeded to open a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans. "Uh, you might wanna be careful of those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor -- you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach, liver, and tripe. George swears he had a booger-flavored one once." Harry took a bean out of his mouth. It probably didn't taste too good.
"Hey, Emaline," continued Ron, as he was eating. "Which Ilvermorny house are you in?"
"Thunderbird," she said. "I was also chosen by Horned Serpent. But I thought Thunderbird was the best choice for me, so I picked that one. You see the Sorting Ceremony at Ilvermorny is quite different than at Hogwarts. The first years are brought to a circular room at the entrance to the school and in front of them are four giant carvings representing each Ilvermorny house and the new student stands in the middle of a Gordian Knot engraving in the middle of the floor. Then, the older students watch in silence from the balcony on the next level, which goes around the circle. The school then waits for one of the four wooden carvings, symbols of each creature the house represents, to react. The Horned Serpent reacts by having the gem in the middle of its head glow, the Wampus will roar, the Thunderbird will beat its wings and the Pukwudgie will raise its arrow into the air. If more than one statue reacts, the student may choose the house they want. Many consider it the most intimidating sorting ceremony in the world. Now it's very rare but all four carvings will react."
"No way!" Ron said enthusiastically.
"Yeah," said Emaline, "Also, it usually happens like once every decade or so but one of the most famous people to have this happen to was Seraphina Picquery. But she chose Horned Serpent. She then became the President of MACUSA."
"Wow...so do you know which house at Hogwarts you want to get into?" Ron continued
"I'm not sure," said Emaline, who was eating a cookie, "But I'm actually hoping for Ravenclaw but Gryffindor wouldn't be too bad. That was Dumbledore's house, I heard."
"Hmm. All of my family is in Gryffindor," he added. "Even my parents. There's no doubt I'm going there, too."
The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were forests, twisting rivers, and dark green hills. The three of them were having a good time. "Well, gentlemen." Emaline said as she got up from her seat. "I should be on my way. My new friends will probably be wondering where I am. I had fun though. See ya!" She slid the door open and closed it and walked back to her compartment.