After tossing and turning all night I got up at 6.30 in the morning. Today was the day I'd leave for Hogwarts and my nerves had deemed it impossible to get any sleep. I got up and quietly went down the stairs. Not to go eat, which my stressed stomach wouldn't allow, but to check my trunk for the millionth time. I thought of professor Dumbledore, who I'd met the week before. He'd been very friendly and was unmistakebly very wise. He'd even been a little excited about welcoming a new student to Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. I could have guessed it wasn't very common for american students to move to the UK. I had already been schooled in witchcraft at Parkers, an american school for witches and wizards. I had hoped my enthusiasm would be as big as his, but my nerves pushed my curiousity to the corner and took over, tensing every muscle and giving me headaches. After rechecking my trunk five more times I was finally convinced I had everything packed.

"Ah Joanne, up already?"my father asked as he came down the stairs. I lifted my shoulders
"I couldn't sleep." At wich my father gave me a comforting smile. It was for his job that we had moved to England.  I loved my father, but his 'interesting job' did not interest me. I joined the breakfast table, but could barely get anything down my throat. Half an hour later we were ready to leave, my father accompanied me to the station, but could not stay. I knew he wouldn't have time that day, but that didn't really make it any easier. We said goodbye at the station entrance and I promised to write to him. As I walked into the station, looking for platform 9 ¾, my nerves piled even more. I took a few deep breaths and reminded myself that Professor Dumbledore had promised me that everything would be fine. He had explained to me how to get to the platform and although I had feared this, the real scary part started on the platform. As soon as I walked through the brick wall and reached the platform for the train to Hogwarts, I felt many glances in my direction.

"Hello there" sounded a friendly voice behind me. I turned to see a small red-haired woman with three tall boys and a girl behind her, all with the same red hair. "Your first year?" she asked gently. I smiled gratefully and nodded.

"No problem, dear, no problem!" Behind her I saw two of the red-haired boys, who looked identically alike, smiling at each other. I now noticed a dark-haired boy standing next to them. My eyes slid over his face and I recognized him... Harry Potter!

"My name is Molly Weasley" the friendly lady continued. I looked her in the eye for a moment, then looked down at the floor as I replied, "Joanne Dhanes". She smiled and turned to her children. "These are Ginny, Fred, George, Ron and of course Harry"

"Yes" said the boy Molly had referred to as George: "Only I am Fred and he is George!"

"Oowwh" responded Molly. And the boys grinned.

"Hi" I said and raised my hand as a greeting. Harry then asked the question that everyone would have wanted to ask clearly:

"You're not a freshman, are you?"

"No" I replied.

"You're not from here either, are you?" asked the girl.

"Is it that obvious?" I smiled.

"Owh, I'm sorry, dears, but you really have to get on the train!"

"Come with us, Joanne. We will continue talking on the train. " George or Fred suggested. To which Ron snorted "Then we should walk with you too!" Harry gave me a meaningful look and I followed the group on the train. Here two other friends of the group joined us: Hermione and Leo. They all wondered who I was, of course. I formally introduced myself again as"Joanne Dhanes" and Hermione's eyes widened instantly.

"Dhanes? As in Henry Dhanes? "

I nodded in surprise: "That's my father, do you know him?"

"Not personally" replied Hermione, "He is the newest member at the embassy, ​​no?" This time I frowned as I nodded. "But how do you know that?" I heard myself ask.

"Oh" Ron responded: "Hermione always knows everything" after which he winked. " But we don't. " one of his older brothers added. I explained to them that I had moved from America with my father and had to change schools. Hermione asked what department and year I would be in. "I don't really know" I confessed: " Parkers didn't divide students into classes by age and certainly not in to departments... Quite a complicated system actually." Then I shrugged: "We will see within an hour."

"Didn't your mother want to come to England?" Ginny asked now. My eyes flashed to Hermione, who looked at me sadly, she apparently she knew my entire history. I just shook my head in response and resolved that someday I would explain why my mother wasn't there.