^{@Ellie Randensmith}
Lillian had just rushed through the entrance to 9 and 3/4. Her mother said, in a gentler-than-usual voice, "Go on first, you'll pass if you don't think about it too much." She had passed all right. But, it was kind of weird. Lillian felt her arm and stomach to make sure she was still solid, because that gave her the creeps.
It was also weird that her family didn't see her off on this adventure. Father didn't even want a magic child, so he hugged her at home. He had gruffly said, "Don't forget to pray, kid." His big good-bye-Lillian-I-love-you was 'Don't forget to pray, kid?' Lillian thought that strange.
Her sister Lisa stayed home too. Lillian had a hint that she was jealous of Lillian's opportunity even though she out loud agreed with their father that magic was dangerous. So, she just got a hug and a "Good luck Lillian, you're gonna need it."
Now her mother had come with the trolley through the wall. Mother looked around curiously at the scarlet train, the families, and the pavement. Lillian thought that the last time she was here was coming home from her seventh year of Hogwarts. That was years ago. No wonder her mother was acting weaker than usual; she was just reliving old memories.
Lillian looked around too. This was a too big of a hustle-bustle for her. She shrank a little. Lillian was a shy girl, mainly because she was bullied and teased at her old school, but partially natural. Mabie it wasn't too late to turn back now. She didn't realize that this many witches and wizards were in England. And, this many kids went to Hogwarts.
While her mother was still looking and thinking of old memories, Lillian snuck back a few feet from her mother. She changed her mind. For almost a year at a strange school, where she didn't know anyone. Lillian hadn't thought of it this way.
Her mother shook her head to come back to the present. Lillian saw her mother glance around for her. Then the woman turned around and saw Lillian hiding behind a post near the entrance. Mother smiled weakly. "Come here Lillian," Lillian hesitated than obeyed.
Lillian stood near her mother. But, her mother pulled her closer and leaned an arm around her. Mother was quiet for so long that Lillian thought that this was a moment of silence until she quiety spoke. "I was shy my first day too. I knew no one. 'Too many people' I thought, 'and one me.' Grandma, was muggle like your father. But, she wouldn't let me back down. 'I'd take this adventure if it were mine. But it is not. It is yours. Take it for me." Grandma, my mom, gave me strength. She wanted me to take it for her, so I did. I want you to take this for me."
Lillian had a chunk in her throat after that. She hugged her mother. Grandma Susan, her namesake, had given Lillian courage just like she had given her mother all those years ago. Her mother cried a tear on the top of Lillian's head. Grandma's death was still hard for her mother, even though many years had passed.
Lillian and her mother loaded Lillian's stuff on the train. Lillian stepped aboard and gave a good-bye hug to her mother. When the train was fixing to take off, Lillian ran to the back of the train, not paying attention to people's startled cries. "Hey!" "Watch where you're going!" "What are you doing?"
She made it to the back, and fumbled with the back window. Come on! Come on! she thought frantically. Finally it opened. Lillian saw the thin woman crying of sadness and joy, her mother. "Onward to Hogwarts!" Lillian yelled to her She thought she heard a 'Onward to Hogwarts!' back, but it could just have been the wind.