CHAPTER THREE: HOGWARTS EXPRESS
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ALEX SHOVED THE LAST few necessities for her first year at Hogwarts. They were getting ready to leave for King's Cross Station. Alex zippered her suitcase up and lugged it down the stairs, everyone else was down there already, waiting for her. "To the car," Lucius ordered, opening the front door and walking outside. The other three followed then. Lucius opened the trunk and Alex and Draco shoved their bags in.

The Malfoy's hated using the car, but they couldn't apparate to King's Cross Station with Alex and Draco, so they didn't have much of a choice.

"Got everything?" Narcissa checked for the 100th time that day.

Alex and Draco both nodded and climbed in the backseat of the car together, Lucius was driving. "Alright Alexis," Lucius started to say. "Once we get there you're gonna have to separate from us. We can't risk anyone seeing you."

"Alright," she said, slouching down in the seat. She looked at Draco who shrugged. Alex hated the idea, she would be going on the train on her own, without Draco. It sucked, Draco was her best friend, her only friend truthfully.

Crabbe and Goyle, two other people who would be starting school with Alex, were around. Often really, but Alex never considered them friends. What sucked the most is Lucius wanted Alex to marry Goyle.

She just thought of him as a prat, he was stupid in her opinion. Didn't understand half the things that were told to him. But Draco liked them, or it seemed that way.

-

Lucius parked the car, pulling the keys out. Alex just looked at Draco, who was already climbing out of the car. Alex did the same, walking to the trunk, which Lucius was opening for them.

Narcissa stood behind her son, a hand on his shoulder. Lucius set their bags on the ground, Alex picked hers up and so did Draco.

"Okay, Alex you'll go in before us. Let me explain how to get into platform 9 and 3/4. Just run straight into the wall between platforms 9 and 10," Narcissa explained with a smile.

Alex watched her and twisted her face in confusion. "Um, what?"

"Trust me," Narcissa said.

"Don't forget Alexis," Lucius started to say. "Slytherin. You are a Slytherin."

Alex nodded. "Of course," she said, smiling at them. "Got it... okay bye." She said.

She smiled again before walking towards their entrance. "Lex," Draco said, she turned around.

"What is it?" She said.

"I'll see you at school, alright?" He said a small smile on his face.

She looked down for a moment. Would they even be able to talk at school? Especially if she wasn't a Slytherin. She knew she couldn't gather suspicion either, that she knew Draco long before Hogwarts.

That if anything, would let people know who she was. Or who her real parents are.

Alex smiled before hugging him. "Yeah, I'll see you soon," she said softly as she pulled away.

Draco nodded as she turned and walked away again. But this time, nothing stopped her.

-

Alex got inside King's Cross Station and looked around. It was crowded and she couldn't tell who was also going to platform 9 and 3/4. But she followed the Malfoy's directions and went to platform 9 and 10. She stood in front of it for a moment, not duly trusting that she wouldn't just crash into it.

She had grown up not knowing much about magic, the Malfoy's distanced her from the rest of the wizarding world so she only knew bits and pieces; one of them not being running into a wall.

Alex grabbed her bags, bracing herself for the worst before she ran towards the wall. Her eyes slammed shut and the next thing she knew she was in almost an entirely different station; not really. Just felt like it.

Alex smiled slightly to herself and began to look around, the only person she knew at Hogwarts was Draco, and then some of his friends. But she didn't like them.

She walked around, the Hogwarts express was there, and a lot of people were starting to board it and say goodbye to their parents. Alex went straight for the train, climbing onto it.

She again started to look around, most compartments were still empty, a whole lot of people weren't on yet, and they were still crowded outside.

"Alex!" Someone shouted, Alex turned her head and it was the girl from Diagon Alley. Tianna Baker.

Alex smiled slightly and walked towards her. "Hey," she said quietly.

"You can sit with us?" She offered, Alex looked in the compartment where another girl was. The other girl had bushy brown hair.

Alex nodded. "Thank you." She said and put her bags away, Tianna walked into the compartment and Alex went in with her. Tianna sat beside the other girl and Alex sat across from them.

"I'm Hermione Granger!" The other girl exclaimed. "I'm a first-year."

Alex smiled at her. "I'm Alex," she said, putting her hand out. Alex shook Hermione's hand.

Alex looked out the window and more kids were boarding the train. There was a knock on their compartment. She looked up, it was Neville. Tianna smiled and opened the compartment for the brunette boy.

"Hey, can I sit with you?" He asked. Tianna nodded and he came in, sitting beside Alex. "I'm Neville Longbottom."

"Tianna," she said, with a big cheeky grin on her face. "This is Hermione and Alex."

Neville nodded and looked at Alex, who smiled at him. "You're all first years then?" Alex asked.

"I am," Hermione told her, and Alex got a nod from Neville and Tianna. "What house do you think you'll get? I hope I get Gryffindor or Ravenclaw."

Neville leaned back into the seat with a smile. "My whole family's been Gryffindor's for like ever," he explained. "So I'd like Gryffindor as well."

Alex watched as they looked at her. She just shrugged, although she did hope for Slytherin, so she could make her family proud. "I don't mind, all of them would be nice."

Tianna smiled. "I agree!" She exclaimed. "I'm just so excited to be here!"

Hermione leaned towards them. "Did you guys hear?" She asked softly.

"What?" Neville asked. "About what?"

Alex was instantly curious, she leaned forward to get a better understanding of what Hermione was saying. "Apparently You-Know-Who's kid is our age. Possibly they'll be attending this year, with us."

Alex's small smile faltered. "You think Headmaster Dumbledore, would let that?" Neville asked.

"Possibly," Hermione answered.

"Did he have a son or daughter?" Tianna asked. "I've only heard bits and pieces of it."

Hermione shrugged. "Not many people know. I think only the kid's close family and whoever is raising them," she explained. "I couldn't find much on it. They might be required to lay low about it."

Alex shrugged. "Well if they do show up... guess we'll figure it out," she said, pushing her way into the conversation.

Tianna nodded. "They'll most likely be a Slytherin if they're anything like their parents."

The rest agreed, and Alex just sat there not sure how else to push herself in this conversation. They were talking about her, but they didn't know that.

"Oh no!" Neville suddenly exclaimed and started looking around.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, looking alarmed at his sudden outburst.

"I think I lost my road Trevor, he must have gotten away when I wasn't paying attention," Neville explained, he was panicking at the moment.

Alex glanced around the compartment but saw no sign of a toad. "I'll help you look," Hermione told him and got up. The two left together, leaving her and Tianna.

Alex glanced at the brunette, who was already watching her. "Are you nervous?"Tianna asked. "Because I actually kinda am."

Alex shrugged. "Well, kinda. But it's gonna be okay," she said. "It's just more school."

"And magic," Tianna added.

Alex nodded. "Of course, the magic," she agreed with a smile.

Tianna chuckled. "Yeah, yeah I just need to calm my nerves down a bit," she explained. "I mean all this was just dropped on me, that I'm a witch and all."

-

The train came to a stop, they had all changed into their robes and Neville still hadn't found his toad. She followed Hermione and Tianna out of the train, Neville was behind her, flustered about his toad.

There was a large man with brown hair, he was much taller than anyone else. "Brightening, firs' years this way please," the man said. "Come on, firs' years don't be shy."

Alex looked over at Hermione. "Who is that?" She asked.

"Hagrid, he's the keeper of keys... or something like that," Hermione explained.

They walked towards Hagrid, the rest of the first years surrounding him. "Alright then! This way to the boats!" He announced, "Follow me!" The large group of first years followed Hagrid, they found some small boats. "Four ter a boat!"

Tianna looked at Hermione. "Alex and I can join those other two boys, you can go with them," she said. Tianna signaled to a boat behind them, that had one boy with light brown hair and another boy with dark skin like Tianna's and black hair.

Alex climbed into that boat with Tianna, sitting behind the other two boys. "Hello!" The one boy said with dark skin. "I'm Dean!"

Tianna smiled. "Nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Tianna."

Alex looked at the two boys. "Alex," she said softly, with another smile on her face.

"I'm Seamus Finnigan," the other boy introduced. "Half-blood!"

Alex nodded. "Me too." Which was true, she was a half-blood, and it was part of her lie as well, according to Lucius.

Dean shrugged, shaking off the blood-type conversation. "Excited?" he asked.

They all nodded, agreeing they were excited. Alex was more than excited, more relieved that she finally got a life outside the Malfoy Manor. But maybe a bit nervous, that people would find out her secret.

authors note

bro, i can't even explain how excited i am for this story. alex means a lot to me and i hope you all like her as much as i do.