The Malfoys arrived at Kings Cross Station at precisely 10:30 to give enough time for the kids to get on the train and say goodbye. Bellatrix could not come since she was a registered Death Eater. Draco and Azalea were practically jumping for joy when they slipped through the barrier between the two worlds.   

The second Azalea saw everything her breath caught in her throat. The scarlet train was letting off billows of smoke that made the cloudless sky invisible, creating a ceiling above them. The platform itself was filled with students. There were parents hugging their kids and waving to them everywhere. The feeling it left on Azalea was more magical than anything she had ever felt before.  

The two kids grabbed their stuff, said goodbye to Lucius and Narcissa, and boarded the train. They walked up and down the corridor looking for a place to sit. They finally found an empty compartment and flopped down onto the seat. Azalea and Draco sat in pure silence until a boy and a girl came and knocked on the compartment door. 

“Hi,” Azalea said as she leaned over and opened the compartment door.   

“Hey, I’m Pansy Parkinson and this is Theodore Nott,” the girl with short deep brown hair said.   

The boy standing next to her waved, “What’s your name?” he asked. 

Azalea stood up straight before replying, “I’m Azalea Malfoy.” 

Draco stood up from behind her, “My sister.” 

“Draco! I didn’t see you!” Pansy said grinning at the blond boy.   

Azalea frowned, “Do you guys know each other?” 

Theodore nodded, “Of course. We’ve known each other since we were six.” 

“Hm. Would you mind giving us a second?” Azalea asked bitterness dripping from her words. 

“Sure,” the two said at the same time. They were still giggling as the compartment door closed. 

In the privacy of their compartment Azalea rounded on Draco, “How do you know them if I don’t?”   

“You aren’t the most important person in the world. I can have friends that you don’t know,” Draco said, upset that she was mad at him for something so stupid. 

“I don’t- It just isn’t fair,” Azalea sighed in defeat. She sat down and put her head in her hands. 

Draco rolled his eyes, “What isn’t fair?” 

“The fact that you get to do everything, and I don’t. You always get to go places and hang out with friends, and I can’t. I have you and two other friends when you have millions. I want to know why I’m never allowed to do anything. I want to have a life too.” 

The two sat in silence and Azalea’s words seemed to reverberate against the walls. Draco looked at Azalea with an un-sympathetic smile and said, “Oh. Um, well I- never mind. Can we talk about this later? In private?” 

Azalea looked at him, annoyed that he didn’t care. “Fine,” she said. Azalea sat there for another second before standing up and leaving Draco, Parkinson, and Nott behind. She looked around the train and was about to give up on finding her own compartment when someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a compartment and, before Azalea could see who the person was, the door slammed, and a lock clicked, leaving Azalea in pure shock and confusion. 

Azalea sat, completely dumbfounded as to what had just happened. She tried to open the door, but it was locked with no way to unlock it from the inside. It was beginning to get dark, and Azalea knew they would be arriving soon. She just hoped that someone would find her. She sat on the seat and stared out the window into the night sky. It really was pretty, the occasional owl would fly by, getting more frequent as the train chugged along the tracks. 

Azalea thought about the events that had just taken place. She could not explain just why meeting Parkinson and Nott had made her so angry. But what she did know was that honestly, she was tired of living in the dark. Suddenly she heard the lock click again and the door swung open. Azalea jumped up and walked out, confused at the whole situation. 

The corridor was a flurry of robed witches and wizards rushing to get off the train. Azalea was not sure whether it was purposeful or not but when Draco passed her, he shoved her with his elbow pushing her backwards into a nearby compartment. Azalea sat up and looked up. Two girls were looking down at her. 

“Hello,” the shorter of the two said.   

“H-hi,” Azalea said, stuttering a bit.   

The taller girl held out her hand for Azalea to grab. She reluctantly held on and stood up, dusting herself off. 

“I’m Maesie and this is my older sister, Charlotte” the shorter girl said, with a warm smile. 

Azalea slowly smiled back, “I’m Azalea.” 

“Come with us, the train will head back to King’s Cross station soon.” Charlotte said. 

The three girls ran out and followed the voice of a large man that was escorting first years into boats. 

“Well, I must go to the carriages, have fun Mae! You too Azalea!” Charlotte said before leaving us.  

Maesie and Azalea hopped into a boat. Soon after a boy and a girl got in with them and the four were off. As they floated along, Azalea looked over and saw Draco, and two kids, Crabbe and Goyle in a boat together. She looked up from the trio just in time to see the tall turrets of Hogwarts come into view. They were a light brown color and were towering over the small boats. 

Eventually, the boats stopped behind an ivy curtain, near an opening in a large boulder. The students got out, many of them whispering excitedly to each other. Azalea was doing the same with Maesie until the large man, whose name, I learned, was Hagrid, returned a lost toad and started walking up the stairs, the young first years following him.