dear draco,

"I can already tell we'll make great friends." Drawing in a steady breath, I paused to take in the crowded chaos of Kings Cross Station. Behind me, parents and children hurried through the barrier beside Platforms 9 and 10, all of them trying to catch the train before it left. Students of every age lit up when they noticed the Blackthorn Express slowing ahead. Uneasily, I looked to my right and up at my parents, worry written all over my face. Catching my unease, my mother smiled softly and laid a gentle hand on my shoulder before she said, "Don't fret, sweetheart. My first day made me nervous too." "Really?" I asked, keeping my gaze on hers. "How long did that feeling stay?" My mother let out a quiet laugh. "Not very long. Once I got on that train, I found an empty compartment almost right away. Your father happened to be sitting in that very one. We spent the whole ride talking, and by the time we arrived, I wasn't nervous anymore." My father grinned beside her. "She's right. We've hardly left each other's side since." "So if I want to be happy, I need to meet my future husband on the train?" I asked, knitting my brows. "That doesn't even make sense." "No, no, no," my mother said quickly. "Just look for people who catch your interest, people you'd like to know better." "Alice," my father said, dropping down to my eye level. "You have no reason to be afraid. You're the most capable witch your mother and I know. I promise, you're going to be perfectly fine." Smiling, I wrapped my arms around both of them as tightly as I could and held on, thankful for the advice. A few seconds later, the last whistle shrieked through the station, warning of departure. I pulled back, said a hurried goodbye, and made for the boarding area. Once I was on the train, I tried to remember what my parents had told me: find people who seemed interesting. I moved past compartment after compartment packed with kids anywhere from eleven to eighteen. Some were noisy, some barely spoke, yet every last seat was taken. With a sigh, I kept going down the corridor, set on finding at least one open spot. At last, I found one. Tucked away at the very end of the corridor sat an empty compartment. "This will have to work," I murmured to myself. I slid the door aside and settled onto one of the cushioned seats, leaving the compartment open in case somebody else needed somewhere to sit. "Seriously, I have absolutely no clue how some of these people ever got accepted to Blackthorn Academy," a voice said nearby. "Must be charity."