While snorting at something further along the tracks one of the girls, Lily French, spotted something much more appealing. Elbowing her friends she nodded in the direction of a very good-looking young wizard.
"Would you look at that," she sighed, to her mischievious-looking friend, Ophelia Bennet. "What I wouldn't give for a piece of him?"
The other two girls, Taryn Greenburr and Gabby Baggins, were too busy swallowing the drool threatening to drip down their faces, to say anything, but Ophelia, in one of her profound moments, said, "Go get him Tiger" and pushed Lily forward.
With one last sly smile back at her friends Lily ran forward, quickly calculated the angles of her attack plan and went into action. She sidled up to him very casually. Soon she was in position directly behind her target. A few more moments and another successful mission would be complete. She stealthily reached out her hand and grabbed her target. The young wizard had a very tight bum making gripping a little difficult but the mission could not fail.
"What in the bloody world are you doing?" the wizard yelled, as he felt the pinch.
Lily just continued to smile.
"I'm askin' you a question. What are you doin' latched on to me bum?" he demanded.
The smile stayed on Lily's face but her eyes glazed over and her hand slipped from his butt and into his pocket.
Her friends quietly observed this from the background until they noticed the younger wizard's face starting to contort with anger. They rushed forward to save their friend.
"Excuse me," Ophelia said, to him, "but my friend seems to have gone into one of her shocks on you. I'm so sorry. Somethines she just loses all senses and goes dumb. There's a medical term for it, but I can't remember what it is."
"Oh, that's all right," he replied, in his gorgeous Scottish accent, "For a second there I thought she was trying to get in me pants."
The three girls snorted with laughter jolting Lily out of her trance.
"Oh, you're better!" The young man exclaimed. "Then would you mind taking your hand out of my pants?"
Lily glanced down at the hand in his pocket then winked at her friends. She began struggling to pull her hand from the pocket.
"My hand seems to be stuck," Lily cried, with mock panic.
The young man sighed then began walking toward a brick wall.
"May I inquire as to what you're doing?" Gabby said, trying to sound intelligent.
"When we get away from the Muggles I'll be able to magic her hand out," he replied.
The four girls gave each other confused looks. How would he get away from Muggles by walking into a brick wall? They watched hoping he would slow down, all the while conversing telepathically.
"What's he doing?" Taryn thought to the others.
"Beats me," Gabby and Ophelia thought back at her.
Lily on the other hand was quite enjoying herself. She was being pulled through a crowd of people by one of the best looking people she had ever seen. She was so enthralled in her own good fortune that she didn't ever realize they were walking directly towards a large brick wall until she was a foot away from it. Then she tried to stop, but it was too late. Bracing for impact she closed her eyes and clenched her teeth but the collision with the wall never came.
Lily opened her eyes and was amazed to see the entire scene changed in front of her. Instead of a station full of Muggles she saw witches and wizards crowding into a huge purple train next to an open platform.
She was so distracted that she didn't even notice that the boy had managed to remove her hand by unsewing his pants pocket then resewing it.
Suddenly her friends were with her again, since she hadn't crashed they thought it best to follow her. After crossing the barrier onto the platform Gabby ran up to the young wizard and threw her arms around him.
"Oh, thank you for saving my friend," she cried, "if you weren't so clever and brave, my dear friend, Lily, would have to spend the rest of her life with a pocket on her hand. Oh, my knight in...wizard robes! Your lady seeks your name! If you could but utter it into these ears I would melt at your feet, for I know it will be a splendid name. A name which will one day be known world wide for its bravery and talent...a name that shall...oof!"
Gabby keeled over due to a swift kick she'd just received from Taryn. The boy gave them all strange looks, but immediately dismissed their oddities as American quirks.
"I am Oliver Wood," he said, "I am a fifth year at Hogwarts. You four must be the American exchange students we were told about at the end of last year."
All of the girls nodded and smiled except Gabby who was curled into a fetal position on the ground. Oliver bent down and offered his hand to her. After untangling herself Gabby got up and started speaking again, but no one really listened to her and since she said nothing important it shall not be recorded here.
Oliver kindly showed them onto the train and helped them find an empty compartment. After helping them put their carryon luggage into overhead compartments he tipped his wizard hat, gave them a dashing smile, then left to sit with some of his Quidditch friends.
"Was he not the best looking guy you've ever seen?" Lily sighed, and sank down onto one of the soft, purple, velvet seats. Her friends nodded in agreement. "And he has a very nice butt, he must work out."
Gabby and Taryn snorted while Ophelia rolled her eyes.
Suddenly they felt the train moving forward.
"We're on our way to Hogwarts!" Taryn thought, excitedly to the other three.
"I can't wait," Lily thought, "a whole year in a school full of people with sexy British accents and Oliver with his Scottish one...sigh."
"Compose yourselves girls," Ophelia thought, "two people are about to barge in here. I see them through my inner eye."
"Me too!" thought Gabby, " They're not too handsome are they? And are they holding hands?"
That's the useful information Gabby conveyed. The rest was cut so as not to fill up this whole book. She needn't have bothered thinking this much considering they were all psychic and could see the same thing through their inner eyes.
Just then the two extremely large and extremely ugly boys burst through their door. Their arms were linked.
"Glad we got rid of Malfoy," one of them said. "He might feel a little jealous of what we have."
They were making lovey eyes at each other for a while before Ophelia exclaimed, "Eww, get out! Gross, ew yuck!"
"Who are you?" The other one said, "I'm Crabbe this here's Goyle. We have first names but since we're evil you'll never use them."
"We're exchange students from the USA," Gabby started. "This is our first time in England and if everyone is just like you guys I don't plan to return. How ugly can a person be? Honestly you're wearing designer robes so you obviously have money. Haven't you ever heard of plastic surgery? Are you guys part ogre or something? Wow you're uglier than an orc.....mmphmmmphmmph."
The three girls lunged at Gabby at the same time and put their hands over her mouth at the same time and put their hands over her mouth to shut her up. Both Crabbe and Goyle were glaring at her and cracking their knuckles.
"What'dya say babycakes?" Goyle said, "Should we put them into their misery?"
"I really would't recommend it," Taryn said, then telepathically to her friends, "Wands out and prepare to make them our humble servants!"
Grins appeared on the girls faces as they pulled out their wands. In a row Taryn's blue wand, Lily's pink wand, Gabby's lavender wand, and Ophelia's black wand pointed at the overgrown boys. Crabbe and Goyle took one look at the rainbow of wands and snorted whipping out their own.
"Look Goyle," Crabbe laughed, "the Yanks think they can beat a bunch of British wizards. I'll have you know, Yanks, that I am a wizard who can trace their heritage all the way back to the original wizards. Adoomfa and Evana."
"Oh, like that's hard," Ophelia scoffed. "All you have to do is say 'Genealogica completia' and wave your wand in the form of a tree. Honestly you think you're threatening us?"
"Let's get them now!" Taryn commanded in her head, "3...2...1...go!"
Four different colored rays appeared in the air and wound around Crabbe and Goyle, forming chains around their hands and feet.
"Superflicia!" The girls shouted in unison. They began to chant together,
yet they will vanish without remains
until one of we four stand by
calling out.......Superfly!"
With that the air cleared and the boys stood, surrounded by the four girls, trembling.
"What did you do to us?" Goyle managed to ask, while hugging Crabbe tightly.
"We have made you our slaves," Ophelia said evilly.
"When we say the right word," Lily sneered, "you must do whatever we say."
"Since we made this spell up it cannot be broken by anyone, outside the four of us," Taryn laughed.
"Better have learned your lesson boys," Gabby said shortly (a rare moment for her).
The boys took one look at each other and laughed hysterically.
"That was a really great bluff," Crabbe guffawed, "you really had us believing that load of tosh."
"Yeah," Goyle agreed, "what a bloody load of bull. I'm only going to be a first year but I know it takes a very powerful wizard to create new spells. You guys don't seem very powerful to me!"
"Gabby, demonstrate," Taryn commanded huffily.
"Crabbe, Goyle, Superfly!" Gabby yelled, "sit down and tie your shoelaces together then stand up and walk."
Immediately the two boys obeyed. Soon they were lying in a heap on the floor.
"Finito!" Ophelia said, "So, boys, do you believe us now?"
Getting up quickly and running out the door hand in hand was their only reply.
"I'll take that as a yes," she smirked.
The girls settled back into their seats and continued their conversation on Hogwarts, this time out loud.
"Aren't you guys the least bit suspicious?" brought up Ophelia.
"About what?" Gabby asked, with her mouth full of chocolate frog.
"That we four just happened to be the only ones chosen for this exchange trip," Ophelia replied.
"Yeah!" Taryn exclaimed, "Thousands of witches and wizards at the -------- American Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry must have applied. And we four best friends just happen to be the ones chosen!"
"I wasn't even going to apply," Lily said, thoughtfully, "but my parents made me.:
"Ours too!" cried the other girls.
"Something's definitely up," Gabby proclaimed, "and I intend to find out what it is. I shall take my courage, bravery, and friends and beat aside the foe that stands in my way. I will follow the path to glory, to the solving of this great quest...."
"Quest did you say," Lily smiled. "There's nothing we can do about that quest right now so I propose a different one. Let's search out Oliver Wood!"
All of the girls except Ophelia were all for it.
"I think I'll just stay here," she said, "and work on the new spell."
"Shhhh! Don't say that out loud!" Taryn cried.
"Remember what we were told before we got on the plane!" gabby shrieked. "Our parents said that we were far more advanced and magical than any other wizards and witches anywhere and it wouldn't be safe for us to flash around our powers. No matter how much I want to kick some dark lord butt I have to hold back. No matter how much Lily wants to turn someone into something she must resist. When Ophelia wants to use her potion skills to solve a mystery she must exercise an extreme amount of caution and when Taryn wants to charm herself out of sticky situations she must thoroughly think it through before hand."
By the time Gabby had finished, all of her friends were talking to each other on a different subject, the new spell.
"This is going to be the coolest one yet!" exclaimed Lily. "What's it gonna do?"
"How is it that you can remember every transfiguration spell that has ever existed, but you can't remember this one that was your idea?" Taryn asked.
"Is it a transfiguration spell?" Lily replied.
"Nope, a charms one," Ophelia said matter of factly.
"You guys know anything that's not transfiguration slips in one ear and out the other," Lily sighed pretending to cry. Her pretend sobs ended in snorts of laughter. "Hey, so, are we going to find Oliver Wood?"
So, Gabby, Lily and Taryn left Ophelia in the compartment and went in search of Oliver.
They went down the corridors sticking their heads in every compartment, introducing themselves and making new friends.
In a compartment near the end of the train they found a very big surprise. It was Harry Potter! The boy who, as a child, saved the entire wizarding world.
Taryn and Lily flung themselves at him and began asking him numerous questions. Gabby however had noticed Harry’s redheaded friend, Ron, and finding him rather attractive for an eleven-year-old selected a seat next to him.
“Hi, I’m Gabby,” she said.
“I’m Ron,” Ron replied.
A very compelling conversation on redheads in the wizarding world ensued but since it has nothing to do with the plot it won’t be recorded.
After a half hour of badgering Harry with questions they remembered their original quest. So, as Harry autographed a box of super glue gumdrops for each of them they pried gabby away from Ron. With one last blown kiss they were able to get Gabby out of the room.
“Forget Oliver Wood, I’m in love!” Gabby sighed.
“Um… You do realize that he is only eleven-years-old right?” Taryn wisely pointed out.
“Age doesn’t matter where love is concerned. Look at our parents! My dad is ten years older than my mom,” Gabby said, “and besides he’s so mature for his age.”
“And she’s so immature for hers,” Lily whispered.
“Hey, I heard that!”
By this time they had reached the last compartment on the train. They were now fully aquainted with everyone who would be going to Hogwarts except whoever was with Oliver.
Before knocking on the last door that represented their last hope of seeing Oliver on the train, Lily took ten minutes smoothing her flowing, beautiful elven hair. Finally it was done to her satisfaction and Taryn was given the go ahead. Gabby would have participated but her head was still in the clouds dreaming about Ron Weasley.
“Come in,” said a deep British voice, on the other side of the door.
Gabby, brought out of her Weasley reverie by curiosity, followed her friends through the door. There, sitting right in front of the door was Oliver Wood.
“Oh, you’re back,” Oliver said, eyeing Lily a little warily.
“We just wanted to thank you again for your kindness,” Lily said, flashing him her most charming smile and flipping her elven hair.
Every boy in the room was instantly looking at Lily and only Oliver didn’t seem impressed.
“How’d you learn that trick?” Taryn thought, to Lily.
“I learned it from Legolas last time I transfigured my dog into him,” she replied.
“So, who are your friends?” Gabby said plopping herself down next to a familiar looking redhead.
“Well, that’s Percy Weasley and Fred Weasley and George Weasley…” Oliver started, Gabby didn’t listen to the rest, she was in Weasley heaven. She immediately seized all of their attention and started talking.
Meanwhile Lily had grown tired of Oliver’s preference of Taryn so she went to one of his good-looking friends.
“I’m Lily,” she said, with a brief hair flick.
“I’m Hotex Traatend,” Hotex said, suavely.
Lily was once again puddy.
So, for the rest of that hour Gabby was queen of her Weasley harem, lily was nodding and smiling to anything Hotex said, and Taryn was having a rousing conversation on Quidditch with Oliver.
“Well, we’re almost at Hogwarts,” Oliver commented casually to the group, trying, at the same time, to slip his arm around Taryn’s shoulders.
“Almost there!” Taryn exclaimed, jumping up. “We have to get back to Ophelia!”
Taryn grabbed Lily and untangled Gabby from the Weasley Harem and threw them into the corridor.
“See you at Hogwarts,” Taryn smiled, and closed the door after herself.
“Well, that was a satisfactory hour,” Taryn transmitted to her friends.
Neither of them replied. Taryn led them down the train and back to their compartment. By the time they arrived Lily and Gabby were back to normal (if you can call them that).
When they opened the door they were shocked to find that Ophelia was entertaining company. A short, greasy, blonde kid seemed to be trying to put the moves on her.
“Oh…Draco…these are my friends,” she said, then in her head, “Save me, guys, please?”
The girls took a couple of minutes to laugh then began talking on subjects that no normal guy would want to listen to. Draco was gone before you could say Norwegian Ridgeback.
“Why were you humoring the short dude?” Gabby asked confusedly.
“Because he’s a shoe-in for Slytherin House and we’re going to need connections. We’ve got Draco in Slytherin, Oliver in Gryffindor (“Not to mention the Weasleys,” Gabby put in.), I’ve talked with Cedric Diggory in Hufflepuff, and a really snotty girl named Cho Chang from Ravenclaw.”
“Well, while you were doing that we got connections with Harry Potter,” Lily said smugly.
“You met Harry Potter? What was he like?” Ophelia said, with a voice filled with awe.
“Well, actually he seemed like a dumb wus,” Taryn said, thoughtfully, “but, hey, maybe deep in there somewhere there’s some hero left in him.”
“Yea, he did look a bit on the wimpy side,” Lily said. “What do you think Gabs?”
“I don’t remember him very well. All I can think of is Ron, < “Hey, Ophelia, you and Gabby can go on double dates with your eleven-year-old friends,” Lily laughed.
Ophelia’s eyes took on the look of death. Lily and Taryn immediately stopped laughing.
“So,” Ophelia inquired, “Did you two meet Mr. Right?”
“I got Oliver!” Taryn shouted, “Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!”
“So, I met Hotex Traatend. He is so hot!” Lily sighed. “Though he won’t completely replace Legolas.”
“Hey,” Gabby interrupted, “are you still going to bring Frodo and Legolas to Hogwarts like you promised?”
“What? Ron isn’t enough for you?” Lily observed. “Of course they’re coming. I plan to grab the first two ugly guys I see and transfigure them brains and all.”
Just then they felt the train slowing beneath their feet, Soon it was completely stopped and they heard students rushing out onto the platform.
“Well, this is it,” they said, together, suddenly serious.
“Secret sign on three,” Taryn commanded, “1…2…3”
The four different colored light beams shot into the air weaving themselves into an immensely complex but beautiful figure.
When the connection broke the girls pulled on their new black roes and rushed out the train doors onto a huge platform and into a new world.
