The day was bright and Khushi was excited. She ran ahead of her parents and Buaji at the train station, her excitement knew no bounds as she skipped to platform nine eagerly whipping about to find platform Nine and Three Quarters. She saw a portly woman with bright red hair holding on to the arm of a girl who was about Khushis age. She was telling a young boy with messy black hair how to get on to platform Nine and Three Quarters and Khushi made a beeline for her a huge grin on her face.
Molly Weasley was surprised to find a small girl with two bouncy plaits come to a skidding halt in front of her. She was wearing a bright colored shalwar suit and had pom poms adorning the sleeves of her dress and her plaits. Ginny giggled as her anklets made sweet music.
"Hello!" Khushi said as she beamed up at Molly "I'm Khushi Kumari Gupta and I'm going to Hogwarts! It's my first time" Khushi gushed "and I didn't know I was a wizard till I got the letter this summer! Amma and Babuji were so surprised that there were such things that existed and my Buaji said she wasn't surprised because she knew I was weird since I was born and I was just grateful that now I didn't have to explain all the strange things that happened around me and get in to trouble. So are you going to Hogwarts as well? How do I get on to the platform?" Khushi asked eagerly, her head swinging from side to side as she looked at Molly and Ginny alternately.
"I'm not allowed to go till next year" Ginny pouted. "But I like you, your funny" she giggled.
"I like you too!" Khushi enthused.
"Khushi" Buaji bellowed and Ginny jumped at the harsh tone of voice while Khushi seemed unfazed. Molly's eyes narrowed in to slits as she regarded the robust woman thundering over the sweet little girl. Molly was already feeling motherly towards her.
"Thousand apologies for my niece" Buaji said apologetically to Molly as she pressed her hands together in a Namaste "she is quite wild."
"That's quite alright" Molly said with a sweet smile "first years can be quite out of control. I can understand having sent five boys and now sending my sixth."
"Seven children?" Garima enthused. "You must be so proud!"
Molly was pleasantly surprised at the genuine admiration by the woman. Molly nodded her head in greeting to the man standing with the trolley which held Khushi trunk and the rope which was tied around Khushis animal. Molly tried to hide her smile when she saw the poor things animal was a goat while Ginny burst in to tears of mirth.
"You're taking a goat to Hogwarts?" Ginny asked between bouts of hysterical laughter.
"Why yes. Her name is Laxmi" Khushi said grinning, mistaking Ginny's laughter to be well meant.
"Erm why don't we get on the platform" Molly said trying to get the attention away from the goat. What Minerva McGonagall will have to say about that Molly didn't even want to begin to fathom. She felt bad for Khushi. The poor thing will have a tough time, not only was she a Muggle born witch who knew next to nothing about the wizarding world, she was also an Indian, and fresh off the boat by the looks of it.
They all steadily made their way through the barrier that separated platforms nine and ten with Khushi exclaiming in 'Ohs' and 'Ahs' and clapping in delight her plaits bouncing on her shoulders. The Gupta's looked mesmerized and Shashi had tears in his eyes because his little girl was going away for a whole year.
"It will be over before you know it" Molly said placing a comforting hand on his shoulder "Hogwarts is the safest place on earth and the head master is the best. Nothing will happen to your girl as long as Dumbledore is Head Master."
They watched as Khushi bounded up the train and waved goodbye, a lone tear making its way on her cheek. Molly saw Ronald passing by and grabbed him by the ear. "You listen to me" Molly said to the horror of the Guptas "There's a little Indian girl in there with pigtails and she smiles a lot. You be friendly to her and make sure nobody picks on her you hear? Her names Khushi." Ron nodded with an aggrieved look on his face, his nose which had dirt on it turning a steady pink.
Soon the train pulled out of the station and the Weasley's and Guptas waved goodbye with tears in their eyes, both thinking the other just a tad bit strange.
oOo
Khushi tugged Laxmi along as she tried to find a compartment that wasn't full to the brim. She was having difficulty because they would all look at Laxmi and start laughing, pointing at her and calling her goat girl. Khushi had met a nice boy by the name of Neville who hadn't laughed at her but had asked politely whether she had seen a toad. She had regrettably said she hadn't and he had gone his own way.
Khushi was feeling hungry now and pulled at a compartment door lethargically. The compartment was empty but for one person who was busy staring out the window. When she walked in he turned his face towards her with eyebrows lifted in surprise, his mouth gaping at who had dared to walk in to his compartment.
"You're Indian!" Khushi gasped her eyes wide, her mouth a wider 'O'.
"And you're an idiot" replied the stranger rudely before turning away from her.
"But I'm Indian too" Khushi said excited as she took the seat opposite him, Laxmi sniffing at his pant legs. The strange boy gave Laxmi a disgusted look and shoved her head away. Khushi didn't like the rude boy treating Laxmi that way, but she was quite friendless and bored so she was willing to give him another chance. After all he was Indian so he might be friendly.
"I'm Khushi Kumari Gupta" Khushi said extending a hand, a winning smile on her lips.
"Get out" the boy said not even looking at her, his jaw clenched, his smooth cheek getting red with annoyance.
Khushis brows furrowed in anger. She hadn't had anything for breakfast in her excitement and now it was lunch time and she had forgotten her tiffin in Babuji's car. And now this Laad Governor was showing her attitude. She had had quite enough, thank you very much.
"I will not get out! This compartment doesn't have your name on it, you Laad Governor!"
"What did you call me?" the boy shot her a blazing look.
"Laad Governor" Khushi shouted as her anger propelled her to her two feet. The boy stood up as well at the same time the compartment door slid open and three boys entered. The young boy in the middle had white blonde hair that he had slicked back on his head, giving him a slightly bald appearance, he was pale and thin and long of face. His two hulking companions were his polar opposites and felt like they were his bodyguards.
"Everything alright Raizada?" The blonde boy in the middle asked, eyeing Khushi as if assessing her worth, sneering as he took in her pom poms and her goat.
"I can handle it Malfoy" the Indian boy said in a tone that brooked no argument.
"Well what do we have here" Malfoy said as he moved forward and circled Khushi, fingering the pom poms on her arms. "Looks like we have a mudblood amongst us boys" Malfoy jeered and his hulking companions' sniggered while the boy called Raizada just stood there smirking.
Khushi didn't understand what they were saying but she knew they were making fun of her and she was just too tired and exhausted too take it anymore. She wanted jalaibes and she wanted them now.
"Mind your language!" she heard someone say from the compartment door.
A young girl stood at the door in school robes. She had bushy brown hair that was all over the place and slightly large front teeth. She wore a colossal frown on her face and marched forward. Khushi was glad to see the familiar face of Neville behind her. The bushy haired girl strode forward and held Khushis arm gently.
"You were rude to her, apologize!" the girl commanded of the Malfoy boy who just sneered.
"Well what do you know, one mudblood wasn't enough and Hogwarts had to take in two."
"I'm going to report you to the prefects!" the girl said haughtily. The girl gently led Khushi out of the compartment where the boys had started laughing out loud and passing snide comments about Muggle born and the lowering standards under senile Dumbledore. Khushi looked back at the Indian boy and saw him looking at her intently, his eyes fathomless yet intense. Khushi stuck her tongue out at him before she slid the door shut.
INDEX
Book One: The Philosophers Stone
Chapter One: Mudbloods and Moonstones
Chapter Two: The Sorting Hat and The Batty Cat
Chapter Three: The Worst Day Of School Part I
Chapter Four: The Worst Day of School Part II
Chapter Five: Flying Watchdogs
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