Journey

Once my 11th birthday went by with no news from Hogwarts, I thought that was it - I am a Muggle. Somehow I reconciled myself to this fact.

Now, boarding the magical train - the Hogwarts Express, at King's Cross station in London -- headed to Hogsmeade Station in Scotland was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me.

How had this happened?

Well, with McGonagall taking over as Headmistress and Kingsley Shaklebolt as Minister for Magic, Hogwarts had opened its doors to Muggle students and teachers, and I was to teach Muggle Studies.

As the train slipped from town to countryside, I leaned back, dreaming of what had happened and what was going to happen. My initial interview had been with Arthur Weasley, and had gone on for five hours. It was only when Molly insisted he stop asking me questions that he reluctantly gave up. Then there were the Hogwarts professors, a few select students and finally Kingsley himself.

My daydream was interrupted by the witch with the trolley. I decided to mimic whatever I could of Harry's first journey, so I bought some of everything. Fortunately, she accepted Muggle money - I hadn't been able to get to Gringott's to change it.

The second interruption, as I was eating the 'hairspray' flavoured bean, came from a first-year.

"May I sit here?" he asked, softly. "I got into a compartment which I thought had other first years but they turned out to be second years. When they found out I want to be in Hufflepuff, they started teasing me like anything."

"Sit down," I welcomed him, holding out a pumpkin pasty. "Have one. Those second years were Slytherins, I suppose."

"Looks like. Thanks for this."

We sat in silence for a while, watching the countryside. Then he spoke again. "Are you going to be teaching?"

"Yes," I replied. "Muggle Studies. You won't be having the subject yet."

"My sister says it's really interesting."

"Ah - is your sister in Hufflepuff?"

"No. She's in Ravenclaw, but I'm not half as smart as her so I don't expect I'll get in there. Anyway, she loves Muggle Studies. She often phones Hermione Granger to discuss some interesting point about it."

The compartment door opened again.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Jimmy's lost one."

This was too good to be true. I was really re-living a lot of Harry's first journey!

"I haven't seen it," I replied.

"You have something on your nose," the girl who had looked in said to the first year.

"Uncanny! All we need now is a rat!"

"I have one," the first year said. "His name is Snuffles. I didn't name his Scabbers for obvious reasons."

"I know your rat's name before I know yours," I said to the first year.

"I'm Aaron."

"Listen, Aaron, will you explain all about Quidditch? That was part of Harry's journey."

"Sure."

I really didn't know much about the finer points of Quidditch, so his explanation was welcome.

When we got to Hogsmeade Station, I asked Hagrid if I could travel on the boats with the first years, since it was my first trip too.

To my delight, he allowed it. My magical train journey was over, but the magical boat journey had begun -- and the journey to a new magical career!