To Hogwarts
31st August 1971
As per usual Marlene Mckinnon had left packing for Hogwarts to the last minute. It was going to be her first year attending the school for Witchcraft and Wizardry and she was entirely unprepared. Clothes were strewn around her bedroom, her bed was messily made, books and quills were untidily stacked on her bedside table.
She was off to start Hogwarts the next day and Marlene had barely started packing, unlike her best friend James Potter, who had been well and truly packed weeks in advance. Marlene rolled her eyes at the thought and kept on throwing things into her trunk. Her Sphinx cat, Salem, watched as Marlene ran backwards and forwards across her bedroom trying to find certain books and items of clothing. Her piercing blue eyes followed her every movement.
It was close to 11 that night when Marlene finally finished packing. She looked around her now, somehow even messier room.
“Bloody hell this place is a mess,” she muttered under her breath, carrying herself to her bed where her last pair of pyjamas lay. It was a Beatles band t-shirt and comfy grey sweatpants. She quickly pulled them on and then climbed into bed, excited for what possible adventures her and her friends would get up too at Hogwarts.
Soon after Marlene got into bed Salem curled up with her.
September 1st 1971
Marlene woke up to the always pleasant sound of her brother yelling her name. “MARLENE WAKE UP AND GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE OR YOU’RE GONNA BE LATE!” Her eyes shot open, suddenly wide awake; it was finally the day.
She threw off the covers and pulled the neatly folded stack of clothes off her desk to change into before scrambling down the stairs to the kitchen.
Her brother was sitting at the table with a plate of bacon and eggs watching her with an amused smile. “Alright there Marls?” he said, grinning at her messy hair, “I like the new style, backwards t-shirt, really suits you,” he laughed, she glanced down to see that her shirt was, in fact, backwards.
She rolled her eyes, “Oh shut up, I’ve seen what you are like before a quidditch game and it's far worse than this.” She laughs, taking the plate of bacon and eggs from where it was sitting on the table, bringing it closer to her. She sat down and had a bite. “I am serious though Marls, its quarter past ten. The train leaves in less than an hour.” Her brother, Josh, said the tone turned slightly serious. “Oh crap,” Marlene said, looking a little worried. She quickly ate her breakfast, raced up stairs to brush her teeth and her hair, flipped her t-shirt the right way and was ready to leave within 30 minutes.
Just as Marlene went to say goodbye to her brother there was a knock at the front door. “Who is it?” Marlene called out. “It's me,” a familiar voice said. Marlene quickly opened the door to see her three people on her front door step. Her best friends, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew, and James’ mum, Euphemia. “Good morning lads, and Mrs. Potter.” Marlene said, smiling broadly.
“Are you ready to leave Marlene?” Mrs. Potter asked.
Marlene nodded, “Yup, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be! I’m just going to say goodbye to my brother and then we can leave.”
Marlene quickly raced upstairs to her brother's room. She knocked on his door, “Come in, Marls.” She opened the door to Josh’s bedroom. “I’m leaving now, with the Potter’s, for school.” Marlene quickly said, she was bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her brother pulled her in for a hug. Marlene hugged him back.
“I’m gonna miss you while you're gone,” He said.
“Of course you are.” Marlene huffed and pulled away.
“Be good this year, and don’t forget to send me an owl or two,” her brother smiled and ruffled her hair.
“I promise, now I actually have to leave. I’ll see you again at Christmas?” Marlene hugged her brother one last time and went back down stairs where James, Mrs. Potter, and Peter sat waiting for her.
“Are you ready to go now?” Peter asked, he and James were both visibly excited. “Yup, I’m all packed and ready to leave,” Marlene picked up her heavy suitcase and dragged it to the front door.
“Wait, how are we getting there?” Marlene asked, a little confused.
“Mum’s apparating us there.” James said, Peter looked a little uncertain about this, Marlene didn’t particularly like apparating either. The awful feeling of your body moving through time and space made her feel a little queasy.
“Alright, I can only take one of you at a time with all your belongings for school.” Mrs. Potter said. “James, I’ll take you first and then come back for you two. Is everyone okay with that?” Marlene nodded, not wanting to be the first person to go.
She watched as James and Mrs. Potter apparated away with a loud crack. Seconds later Mrs. Potter was back smiling and leaning her arm out to Peter. “I’ll come back for you last Marlene,” She smiled and then vanished away with Peter.
“Here I was thinking I was finally rid of you for the year, but yet here you still are.” Josh said smiling, coming down the stairs to the kitchen that Marlene was standing in.
“Are you sure you have everything you need?” he asked.
Marlene nodded, “Yes, I think I do. Hopefully…”
Josh laughed and tears started to form in Marlene’s eyes, this was the last time she was going to see her brother for three and a half months.
Mrs. Potter apparated back into the Mckinnon’s kitchen with a crack. She looked warmly at Marlene and held out her arm. Marlene took it, while holding her suitcase in her other hand.
Marlene watched as her brother's smiling face faded from sight as she apparated away.
Apparating was always awful. It felt like your body was being stretched and pulled in all different directions all at the same time. It was a sickening feeling. It was over as soon as it had started. She lurched when she landed safely at platform 9 and 3/4.
Marlene’s head was spinning and she swayed a little on the spot for a few seconds trying to grasp the fact she wasn’t flying through the void anymore.
She wiped away the tears that were forming in her eyes again. Her stomach was doing flip flops. At least she had James and Peter.
“Alright now hurry along children,” Mrs. Potter said, she pulled the three of them into a hug. Giving James a kiss on his head. “The train is about to leave and I would hate for you all to miss it.”
So James, Peter, and Marlene lugged their heavy trunks onto the Hogwarts express. They couldn’t find any empty cabins so James knocked on the door of a tall, lanky boy that looked about their age. He had a few small scars on his face and wore a knitted brown jumper.
His trunk had the name “R. J. Lupin” stamped on the front of it.
“Everywhere else is full, can we sit with you?” James asked brightly, already going to sit down not waiting for an answer from. “I’m James Potter, this is Peter and Marlene.” James held out his hand. The boy looked at it thinking for a minute. He took James’ hand and shook it. “I’m Remus,” he answered quietly.
The train began to move slowly out of the station, James pressed his face to the window and waved goodbye to his mother. Marlene and Peter waved too. James plopped himself back down into the seat. He sat next to the window, Marlene next to him and then Peter next to her. Remus sat alone on the seat opposite.
Marlene put her trunk onto the luggage railing above the compartment seats. She sat back down sighing.
She studied the face of the boy opposite her, finding herself staring at the scars that were littered across his face and neck. “Have you ever been in a fight before Remus?” She said in awe. The boy, Remus, looked at Marlene baffled. “What the fuck are you talking about?” Remus retorted.
“Y'know all the scars you have, did you get them in a fight?” Marlene asked again, unphased.
Remus was slightly taken aback. James was dumbfounded at her bluntness. “Marlene, you can’t just ask people if they get into fights.”
Before anyone was able to answer, the compartment door flung open, and a pale boy with dark hair and blue eyes stood in the doorway. He was wearing a leather jacket. Marlene thought he looked cool, specifically his leather jacket, even though he seemed a little up himself.
“You guys don’t look like my family, or weird blood supremacists, so we should be friends.” He winked and sat down next to Remus.
“I’m Sirius Black by the way,” Sirius stuck out his hand to nobody in particular. James looked as if he was going to cry from excitement.
“This one. This is the one we keep,” he looked at Marlene with a shit-eating grin spread across his face and Marlene resisted the urge to roll her eyes
Marlene chuckled and saw his David Bowie band shirt, matching the one she wore now.
“No way.” Marlene said, “You know David Bowie?” Marlene was over the moon with excitement.
“Of course I do,” he responded, “my cousin Andromeda gets me muggle records. David Bowie is my favourite!”
Marlene and Sirius spent the following hours talking about David Bowie, The Beatles and many other artists and bands that they liked.
Towards the end of the trip an older student came in to check on them. “Hi I’m Alice Forctuse, I’m a prefect for Gryffindor. I’m sure as first years you don’t know, but we are nearing Hogwarts so it would be a good idea for you to all get changed into robes.” The girl, Alice, smiled at the group. “The bathroom is the next carriage down, so you guys can change there.”
Marlene nodded, “Thank you Alice I’m going to change right now.”
Alice left and Marlene stood up. “I’ll be back in a minute guys, don’t do anything dumb without me.” She broadly smiled and left the compartment taking her robes and uniform with her.
On the way to the bathrooms Marlene was not-so-subtly looking at the people in the other compartments trying to figure out who would be in her year. She stopped short when she noticed that one compartment had the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. Marlene felt something churn in the pit of her stomach that she shrugged off as envy. The girl had dark skin, high cheekbones and dark curly hair. Marlene was slightly intimidated by her, although she would never admit that.
The girl had looked up and noticed Marlene staring, so she gave her a large smile. The girl didn’t smile back, instead narrowing her eyes at Marlene, A little taken aback at the response Marlene stuck out her tongue. If this mystery girl wasn’t going to be nice, neither would Marlene. The girl rolled her eyes and Marlene shook her head, slightly disappointed, and huffed away to the bathroom.
“Took you long enough Marls,” Peter said.
“I met some rude girl on the train. She looked like she was sitting with a group of Slytherins so it serves me right for trying to be nice.”
Marlene told the others a brief recount of what happened - leaving out how pretty the girl had been and how intimidated it had made her feel.
Sirius leaped out of his seat, “Look everyone we finally made it to Hogwarts!”
And sure enough as everyone got up out of their seats (except Remus and James who both had sat by the window), to look outside. The most magnificent castle Marlene had ever seen was looking down at them. It was made of solid stone and overlooked a large lake. With castle turrets that were almost reaching the sky.
“Woahh,” she breathed, “isn’t it beautiful?”