1
Nineteen-seventy-two, the year Anna Longbottom, the younger pureblood heir to the Longbottom family, joined her older brother at Hogwarts. Anna walked beside her brother, as he pushed the trolley with their trunks. Behind them, their parents chatted while teary-eyed at their youngest leaving the house.
“What house do you think I'll be in, Frankie?” The brunette looked up at her brother with hazel eyes full of admiration.
“I don't know Annie. But the house doesn't make you any less of a Longbottom. Mum was Hufflepuff and Dad was Gryffindor,” Frank comforted, rustling the younger sibling's hair.
“Anna, come here. Let your brother and mother show you how to get to the platform.”
Anna ran back to her father as her mother took her place. Mr Longbottom offered his hand, smiling down at his title witch. Anna took it and watched as her mother and older brother ran through the pillar and disappeared. None of the Muggles walking around King's Cross seemed to notice.
“Ready, Annie?” Anna nodded with big eyes.
The father and daughter ran forward and when she thought she would hit the pillar, she felt tingles go through her body but no impact. Anna had done the run-through many times to spend her big brother off, she always feared it would not let her through.
She shuddered as she felt the magical barrier go through her. Anna opened her eyes; all ages of wixen stood around, waiting for the express. In the distance, she saw Frank running to Alice and her family to greet them. Young children laughed and were bubbling with excitement. Older children were slightly more tame with their excitement but Anna could still see it glimmer in their eyes.
She saw Alice and Frank walking back towards them with Alice's parents trailing behind. Mr Longbottom released Anna's hand and she ran towards her big brother and his girlfriend.
“Alice!” Anna exclaimed, both girls embracing in a tight hug. Alice spun the younger girl around.
“You're getting so big now, Annie! Look at you, all ready for Hogwarts!” Alice broke the hug and cupped the girl's face.
Alice's parents wandered over to Mr and Mrs Longbottom, chatting quietly. Unbeknownst to the two families, two boys from another family watched them bitterly. The Black family, one of the most prominent families of the Sacred Twenty-eight.
The heir and the spare. Sirius Orion Black and Regulus Arcturus Black. They stood in front of their mother and father, who were murmuring about all of the mudblood and Muggle-born wixen around. Sirius stared at Frank and Alice, they were older Gryffindors and friendly enough towards him and his friends. Regulus stared at the young girl with them, she looked to be about his age. Both had bitter storms in their grey eyes, wanting to laugh with friends and show emotion in public.
They knew of the Longbottoms. Every family within the Sacred Twenty-eight knew each other well, often marrying between families. Regulus rattled his brain, trying to remember ever seeing the young witch at a party that both families attended. He remembered seeing Frank alongside Mr and Mrs Longbottom.
Anna looked at the parents, they were whispering something about blood status. Anna Longbottom may be young, but she wasn't stupid. She knew they were talking about blood social classes and she knew the effects of the highest blood status young. Anna was a spare, Frank was the heir to the Longbottom family fortune should something occur. Yet, Mr and Mrs Longbottom never made them feel that way, loving them equally. Anna also knew the effects of being a part of the Sacred Twenty-eight: eyes were always of the heirs and spares.
The red engine of the express rumbled to a stop. Mrs Longbottom had tears forming in her eyes as her children stood before her and her husband.
“We'll see both of you for Yule. Write to us when you have time,” Mrs Longbottom tightly embraced Frank before moving to her little girl.
“Mummy, don't cry! Frankie will be with me! And I'll write all the time!” Anna whispered in her mother's ear.
“I want to hug my daughter too, dear,” Mr Longbottom mumbled. His wife broke the embrace and backed away for Anna and Mr Longbottom to hug.
“I have no doubt you'll do great things at Hogwarts,” Mr Longbottom murmured, giving an encouraging squeeze.
“Annie, if we don't board now, we won't get a good compartment,” Frank warned. He stood by the door, reaching out for his title sister.
The father and daughter broke apart. She ran up to her big brother, taking one last look at her teary-eyed parents. Frank encouraged Annie in and two children said their goodbyes to their parents. Frank guided Annie through the crowded train with his hands on her shoulders.
Whispers spread through compartments. Two spares of two Sacred Twenty-eight families were attending now. Frank nodded at a group of four Gryffindor boys who were a year older than Anna.
“Annie, help look for Alice, she promised to save us spots.”
“Okay, Frankie!” Anna began skimming the compartments for the familiar teenage girl.
Groups of pureblood children whispered as the siblings passed. As did the mudbloods. The young muggle-born wixen didn't seem to know the siblings’ status, which Frank silently was grateful for. Anna kept looking, finally spotting Alice against the window of a quiet compartment. It was only her and one other person.
“Found her!” Anna began trying to lead her brother to his girlfriend. Frank let her, also seeing his girlfriend.
The train was let to begin its course to the Scottish highlands where Hogwarts resided. Frank was quietly thankful for that factor, not wishing to deal with the crowd and a moving train together. The Longbottom siblings entered the compartment, Alice smiling at them. Anna sat beside Alice while Frank looked out the window for Mr and Mrs Longbottom.
Regulus sat in his compartment, alone. Sirius had rushed off to his friends the moment he boarded the Hogwarts Express. Two boys and a girl his age knocked on the door. The corners of his lips turned up, realising it was Barty Crouch Jr, Pandora Lestrange, and Evan Rosier. The group of four had often seen each other at family parties and pureblood events.
“Hello, Regulus!” Pandora greeted, cheerily.
“Hello, Pandora.”
The three sat down, catching up with each other over recent events. The train rumbled to life and lurched forward.
Anna was trying to keep from bouncing out of her seat as the train departed from King’s Crossing. She saw families run after the train and wave to their children. Alice put her arm across Anna, making sure she didn’t fall out of the bench seat.
“Anna, are you excited?” Alice asked, giggling softly.
“Can’t you tell?” Frank smiled at his little sister.
Slowly, London became the English countryside. Frank and Anna switched spots, letting her stare out the window as the older students caught up and talked about the year. Anna watched fields of green spread as far as the horizon let her see. Along the border of the fields and tracks, flowers sporadically created a path. Anna made out some as patches of wildflowers, witch hazel, lavender, and thistle. Change, protection, devotion, and loyalty.