I woke up super early and yawned. Ares did the same next to me and I got out of bed. "Come on buddy"

Ares followed me and I walked down the stairs. I began to cook breakfast since it was my turn to do so. I forgot I also needed to do the trash, so I had an idea.

A small bag of trash hung in my cats mouth "alright Ares, you're smart right? Watch me" I grabbed my own little bag walking to the back door and leaving it outside.

I went fairly quick as to not burn breakfast. I pointed to the door and cooed at Ares. "Go buddy"

Ares ran over and out the door, putting the bag down and running back. "Alright, showoff"

I gave him a piece of meat and sent him out again. We were almost done with all the trash when my father came down the stairs

"what on earth is your new cat doing?" I looked up at him, passing Ares another bag

"oh! Well I needed to take out the trash, but I had already started breakfast. So I got some help from Ares"

my father looked at the timid cat as he waited for his next bag "Ares eh?" I nodded my head giving Ares his bag

"does he bite or something?" I shook my head "nope. Wouldn't hurt a fly" my dad squinted at me "then why-?"

Mum walked in and pat dad on the back "let her call her cat whatever she wants hun" he shrugged and sat down, reading the daily prophet.

Ares came back for another bag,  but he'd finished. "You finished buddy, such a good boy" I pet him and gave him another piece of meat.

He looked confused and sniffed at the trash bin. He looked up and began just running back and forth  from the door and back.

We all had a good laugh and breakfast was ready. After plating up the food I called out to my cat "Ares, quit it already, it's time to eat"

I put his bowl of cat food on the floor next to me and he dashed to go eat. "Are you ready sweetie? The train leaves at 11 am sharp"

I nod my head stuffing my face with food. "Y/n, slow down" I look up "sorry dad, i'm super hungry"

Ares must've gotten tired from his extra runs, because he had finished eating and was laying on the floor.

"Well sweetie, are you excited?" I smiled at my mum "over the moon!"

We finished eating and all grabbed something, I was carefully carrying Ares in his cage, mum had my trunk and dad had the keys and was ready to drive us.

--

I looked down at my ticket and saw platform 9 3/4 printed on there. I remembered that the platform was well hidden, but I couldn't remember how.

"Sweetie, you passed it" mum was standing in front of a pillar. Oh yeah! I quickly ran through like I had always been told I would do.

My mouth gapped open at the large steam train. Mum and dad hugged me and I set off to get on the train.

I kept Ares in his cage, I knew he wouldn't run off, but I didn't want anything to happen to him. I walked through dozens of carts, looking for one empty enough to read in peace.

While walking through one of the carts a bleach blond boy with slicked back hair waved at me.

I inherently concluded he was waving at someone else. But he kept waving and his eyes were following me, so I gave him a tiny wave back.

He smiled and stopped waving. I have to try and remember who that was.

Finally I found one that was relatively empty, except for one other kid.

"Excuse me, would you mind if I sat in this cart?" I asked politely, because i'd learned over the years some people prefer to be 36 and a half feet away from me.

The boy looked startled and nodded his head. I smiled happily and I sat a couple seats down.

The boy looked back at me and sat down normally seeming to part his brown bangs and finger his forehead.

I proceeded to bring out a book and was about to start reading when I realized Ares looked kind of restless.

I glanced back at the boy "would it be okay if I took my cat out, he really is a sweetheart, you-"

the boy seemed just as awkward as when I asked him if I could sit, and he cut me off.

"You don't need my permission to do anything" he said it timidly, almost like he was embarrassed.

I nodded and let Ares out. He zoomed around the cart at top speed. "Oh quit that!" I scolded him, and he moved to the next most exciting thing.

A new human.

Ares was all over the brown haired boy, seemingly in an attempt to extract pets from the poor thing.

The boy seemed okay though, and he pet Ares happily. "What's his name?" The boy asked

"his name is Ares" the boy looked at me questionably "Ares? Like the war god?"

I nod my head to the confused boy "is he aggressive?" I smirk and shrugged "if he isn't in a good mood, he'll bite your hand off"

the boy's eyes widen as he looks at the cat ."I'm just goofing with you! No I just liked the name Ares, not to mention it frightens people."

The boy laughed along as he pet Ares, who suddenly decided he liked the boy more than he liked laying on the floor, so naturally he leaped onto the boys lap making himself at home.

"Ares! Lay off the boy!" I quickly panicked but the brown haired kid just kept petting Ares "oh i'm fine with it, i've never had a pet. Well, except for you Hedwig."

The boy turned to a snowy owl that I hadn't noticed before. Another boy walked in, he was tall, thin and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose, which seemed to have a black smudge on it.

"Harry, sorry I took so long, had to make sure Fred and George didn't blow something up"

the boy, who's name was apparently Harry, smiled at the other kid still petting Ares who was living his best life.

The boy narrowed his eyes in confusion "I thought you brought an owl Harry"

Harry laughed and said in an voice so low that it would be impossible to believe he'd ever raised it "the cat isn't mine Ron"

Ron seemed to just notice me sitting there "oh hi I didn't see you there" I smiled back at Ron "pleasure to meet you"

Harry looked out the window petting Ares peacefully. Suddenly Ron sat down and whispered "so are you Harry Potter? Like the Harry Potter?"

Harry nodded to Ron seeming a bit annoyed. "So, do you like, really have...it?" Harry seemed to stiffen and stopped petting Ares, who put two and two together, and got mad at Ron for stopping his pets.

Ares did something I hadn't seen him do, and he growled at Ron. Harry hushed the cat with more pets and moved aside his hair to reveal a lightning shaped scar on his forehead.

I sat there like it was nothing, while Ron gapped at Harry like he was a well made statue.

Ares suddenly jumped up and started growling again staring intently under a seat.

"Ares, quit that already!" I snapped at him, and he stopped for a few seconds but looked back and kept growling.

Ron looked under the seat "Scabbers!" He reached under and pulled a rat out from underneath.

Suddenly Ares seemed to be sinking away from the rat, almost looking scared. He jumped out of Harry's lap and ran to hide behind me.

"Ares, what wrong?" I ask picking up the terrified feline. He squirmed and, for the first time i'd seen, he willingly went into his crate.

I was gonna feel so stupid saying it "um, it seems you rat is, disturbing my cat, I should get going"

the train lurched forward, going slow, but going. It would be unwise to move around at the time. "I'll just keep him out of sight" I mumble, hiding Ares from the rat. "You scaredy cat"