The day had finally come. The family of four drove in their new car. Arabella’s mother tried to look stable, but no one believed it. Jone seemed unusually quiet next to Arabella, that she said, “Jone what is the matter?”
“I don’t know… Your leaving?” Jone said. Instantly be buried his face into Arabella’s jacket and wailed. Arabella ruffled his hair and hugged him.
“Jone, honey please keep it together. Your worrying mother,” Mr. Warbeck warned. He looked into the mirror and gave Jone his look. He swerved into the train station parking; he turned the engine off.
“Marian? Could you grab a cart for Arabella?” Jacob asked. They made their way to the platform, and Jone turned to his parents.
“Where is the platform of 9 ¾?” Jone asked unknowingly. His father leaned down to eye level with Jone and pointed between 9 and 10.
“Right in the middle of 9 and 10.” Mr. Warbeck said softly, “I’ll help you and mother through.”
Arabella remembered her father saying to get a running start. So, she ran hard, and at the last second, she closed her eyes. She opened her eyes to see the most magnificent train ever. On the side, it said ‘The Hogwarts Express.’ Arabella’s stomach was filled with tingling feelings. She heard Jone laughing behind her, and seeing her family helped calm her down.
“Okay, Arabella you have to finish this journey yourself now,” Jacob Warbeck said, hugging his daughter tightly.
“Stop saying stupid things like that, dad!” Arabella squeaked. They unembraced, and now to face mother.
“Mom? I love you. Don’t forget to send me cookies, okay?” Arabella forced a smile as the only response was her mother’s shaking head.
Before boarding the train, she hugged her family once more. Even as they faded into the distance, Arabella waved.
The first compartment she entered was crowded with people, so she moved to three over. That one was empty except for two girls. They both had black hair, freckles, and brown eyes.
“May I join you two?” Arabella asked nicely. The two girls looked at each other and gave Arabella a nod. “Thanks, I’m Arabella Warbeck.”
“And we are Lorena and Libbie Badger!” The girls said at the same time. Arabella knew at once she would never know who was who.
“So your Lorena,” She said pointing to the first girl, “and your Libbie?”
“No, no. I’m Libbie and she’s Lorena.” The first girl said.
As usual, with new friends, Arabella started to know them more. The girls were pureblood, had a baby brother, and a cat named Lollipop. After a while, the compartment door opened for the girls to see the Trolley Witch.
“May I interest you girls with any treats!” She asked sweetly.
“I’ll take one Everyflavered Beans,” Lorena said. The witch gave her one can of them. She now placed her attention on Libbie and Arabella.
“Um, I’ll have two chocolate frogs,” Arabella asked. As she was given them, they hopped out of her hand. “Hey!”
“Watch out honey!” The witch squeaked.
“I won’t get anything, thank you,” Libbie said.
“Whatever you want sweetpea. Have a nice trip!” The Trolley witch said closing the door.
Not even a minute later, the door opened wide, and in came a blonde-haired boy. He seemed to be a first-year as well.
“Well, well, well what do we have here?” The boy sneered. He slapped the chocolate frog out of Arabella’s hand, and it hopped under the seat.
“Jade Malfoy! Leave her alone!” One of the twins screamed. Lorena hopped up and punched the boy, making him fall out of the compartment. Libbie closed and locked the door. The twins, who were angry, were now laughing a fit. Arabella stayed rooted in her spot motionless.
“Did you two just do that?” She asked in astonishment. The twins nodded their heads together. “Thanks.”
Suddenly, she caught something out of the corner of her eyes. She turned around and saw Hogwarts.
“That’s the Hogwarts castle,” Libbie said, “The Hogwarts Castle is a large, seven-story high building supported by magic, with a hundred and forty-two staircases throughout its many towers and turrets and very deep dungeons. The castle was built in the late Early Middle Ages by a wizard architect and the four most celebrated wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. The castle was the main building of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, regarded as the finest wizarding school in the world.” Lorena stared at her twin with wonder.
“How do you know that?” Lorena asked hopelessly.
“What?” Libbie whined, “Am I the only one who read the History books? Arabella, it is great.”
A great horn sounded throughout the train, warning them that the train was stopping. The three girls leaped out of the compartment and made their way through the crowd. At the exit, Arabella heard a loud voice yelling, “Firs’ years! Firs’ years over with me!” The biggest man ever stood waving and shouting.
“That’s Hagrid,” Libbie whispered. She took Arabella’s hand and led her to the first years.
“All righ’ now. Is this y’all? Foller me.” Hagrid turned his back and started to walk forward. After a while, he stopped at the shore of a lake filled with many wooden boats. He climbed into one of the boats, and the children followed suit.
“Everyone in?” shouted Hagrid, who shared a boat with a cat, “Right then – FORWARD!”
Libbie and Lorena took turns rowing, as Arabella watched the water glow in the moonlight. The castle was built in a valley area — surrounding mountains were part of the landscape — with the fairly large Lake to the south of the main building. The huge main oak front doors that led into the Entrance Hall faced west and opened up to sloping lawns. The deep Forest extended around to the west of the castle. There were also exterior greenhouses and vegetable patches on the school grounds.
“All righ’ everyone out. Foller me…” Hagrid fell out of his boat and came up swearing. He began to take bigger steps, that the students were practically running. He swung the Great doors open and let the children file in. A door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Arabella’s first thought was that this was not someone to cross. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.