"Welcome to Hogwarts"

When the Hogwarts express pulled to a stop Serenity stayed hidden in her corner. After her little show earlier she was suddenly feeling too anxious to go to Hogwarts. She waited for all of the students to file out of the door at the end before picking herself and her bag up and lowering herself onto the Hogsmeade platform, hanging her head as she approached the tall man beckoning over first years she failed to recognise Hagrid. The half-giant, however, noticed her glum expression almost immediately and manoeuvred himself through the gaggle of first-years.

"Yer alrigh' Serenity?" Looking up at him, she flashed him a weak smile.

"Hi, Hagrid," was her only response as she returned her gaze to the ground. She was holding up the group now, the train had left and every other student had made their way to the self-drawn carriages. Brushing by Hagrid, she pushed herself deep into the crowd and offered a small smile to the girl she'd stopped next to. Hagrid had brushed off the girl's odd behaviour and returned to his job.

"Righ', you lot, follow me!" As the group of eleven-year-olds pushed to follow the towering man holding a lantern high above his head, the girl next to Serenity quickly grasped onto the brunette's arm in order to stop herself from falling. Glaring at the boys who simply laughed and pushed by them, she lashed out and caught the back of a blonde's head with her hand. He ducked and turned around with an 'oi!'

"Watch where you're going next time!" She snarled as she let go of Serenity. The boy simply sneered at the two girls before rushing to catch up with his friends. As the girls followed at the back of the group, the stranger looked to Serenity and tucked her light brown copper hair behind her ear. "Hi," she greeted with a soft smile, "I'm Juliet Law," Serenity looked up, half expecting the girl to state that she already knew who she was, the look in Juliet's hazel was one of blissful ignorance, "muggle-born." That explained it. Serenity offered a short-lived smile.

"Serenity Rier, pureblood." Juliet's eyes widened with a shining curiosity.

"Really, you grew up with magic?" Serenity nods shyly, ever-so-slightly amused at the girl's naivety... she had no idea what Serenity could do. "Wow," she gaped, "that must've been amazing!" Serenity shrugs.

"Perhaps, I don't know any different." Juliet simply shrugs and nods.

"Yeah... well, it sounds awesome." By the time they reached the shore, everyone else had already piled into a boat- four students to one boat. The only spare boat was completely empty and so, the girls quickly clambered into the empty boat and waited for the journey to start. Juliet sat straight in her seat twiddling her thumbs as she looked around at the lake around them before back to the witch sat next to her. Despite her short-lived moment of anxious contemplation, there was still a mask of excitement over the girl's face. "What house do you think you're going to be in?" Sighing, Serenity thought to the yellow and black scarf her Aunt Lucia had stuffed in the bottom of her rucksack- she knew what everyone was expecting and was unsure what the consequences would be should she be sorted into any house other than Hufflepuff.

"Hufflepuff." Serenity kept her answer short, unwilling to explain her entire family history to her. "What about you?" Running her hands over her plain back uniform robe, Juliet puffs out her cheeks.

"I'm unsure, I was reading about the houses in Flourish and Blotts and Slytherin really stuck out to me... Gryffindor also, however, one woman told me that Slytherin is completely pureblooded witches and wizards. So, that's that out of the question." Pursing her lips, Serenity looks out at the water that rippled under the white moonlight. This girl seemed too nice to spend her time in the dungeons and yet, there was a spark

"Maybe you'll be the first," smiling kindly, she watched as Juliet's grin failed to falter, if anything, it grew.

"That would be nice- woah!" Juliet jumped giddily in her seat when the castle came into view. The boat rocked hazardously and Serenity was forced to place her had on the wood of her seat to instil magic into the boat and steady it. When she looked up, however, she understood Juliet's excitement.

Hogwarts was a broad structure, a tall wall blocking off most of it from the cliff it sat beside, yet, the floors and towers peeking over the top were glowing. Each window glowed with warm yellow light, a figure moved erratically between some of the windows in apparent excitement causing a few giggles to spread through those who witnessed it. Serenity gaped as the ancient structure towered over them, casting a deep and welcoming shadow. Its shade was warm, like a hug welcoming them onto the castle grounds as they entered the cave in the cliff.

By Hagrid's instruction, the first-years clambered from the boats and onto the cobblestone pier. Once everyone was safely on land, they were instructed to leave any bags at the bottom of the broad staircase in front of them and then to wait at the top of the said staircase. Trusting the students to behave, Hagrid bid a fond farewell before strutting off down a corridor and out of sight.

Taking a seat on a step, Juliet grinned up at Serenity with such a genuine look any distrust the pureblood held towards her had all but diminished.