Hello Maxie. Excellent post. NO!!!!!!!!!! I see a plot unfolding here. I said it before and I'll say it again. Poor poor John. This might complicate John's hopes and dreams.
Maxie, I loved the whole train ride. It's like, "A Day In The Life of..." You know, when a journalist follows someone around making notes of casual occurances and anything that comes up now and then. It's just fun and neat to watch. Now, what is going on here? Great post Maxie! I can't wait to find out what's going on with the train stopping so unexpectantly. And Ruby has a lot of thanks to give to Philippine.
One more thing. Others have picked out favorite characters so I will too. Mine is Mrs. Bonanza. Cause I can SOOOOOOOOOOOO identify with her!Just teasing of course. I mean I do identify with her, but she isn't my favorite. I love Ariel and John. Unless John turns out to be the guy in her nighmare from the beginning of the story. Is Ariel a Seer? Or was it just a bad nightmare?
Great post Maxie. I'll be watching for your next. Love ya bunches!

Breeee! I caught you stalking, a couple of times. =D

Thaaaank you, and YAY for great minds thinking alike.
Hehe. <33



Thaanks, Connie. <33

LOL. Mrs. Bonanza? That was unexpected! =D

Funny you should mention the guy from the beginning of the story...

Thank you, and Ily MORE. <3

Haha Yeshhhh I just keep on checking for new ones!

LOVED IT!!!! wat happened? is there trouble? or did the train just stop at the station?

GOT TO KNOW!!

PAMS!!!

LOL. *huggle* <33

Thaaank you.

You'll get to know in the next update.

Quote:

Besides, that new transfer was hot. John River, wasn't that his name?

I sense trouble in the future!

Quote:

All three of them jumped as the train screeched to an unexpected, jarring halt. Something crashed to the floor in the compartment next to them, and Philippine made a dive for Ruby, pushing her out of the way just in time to avoid the trunk that slipped from the top berth, and crashed to the floor, landing at the exact spot Ruby had occupied only moments ago.

:O :O :O

What happened?!!!

~~Jay~~

None of us knows
what the next change is going to be,
what unexpected opportunity is
just around the corner,
waiting a few months or a few years
to change
all the tenor of our l i v e s.


The trunk bumped on to the floor, its clang loud and metallic, the unexpectedness of the sound turning it into an echoing, ear-splitting noise. Ruby's gaze [accentuated by mascara, and eyes as large as saucers] darted around the compartment like a hurt deer's, as she clung to Philippine like she had just been saved from a Killing Curse [trust Ruby to over-dramatize things] and then flaaared up.

"Great! Does that idiot of a driver not know how to do his job?" [Philippine, being the typical good girl that had yet to speak of anyone she considered a good person in such terms, looked shocked at this statement and SHOVED Ruby]. "Oof, Philippine, if you do that again, I'm going to kiss Rylon Mahogany -" Philippine gave a little scream and clutched at thin air, causing Ariel to bliink - "Seriously, though. My hair is ruined. I'm going to tell Professor Dumbledore that our dear driver does not know how to stop a train -"

"Cut it out, okay?" Philippine had drawn herself to her full height, and now glared at Ruby, hands on hips. "How can you speak of Rylon and kissing in the same sentence? Don't you realize how awful it sounds to my ears? Is that how you thank me for saving you from a deadly, runaway trunk? I'm telling you, Ruby Sardin, if you ever kiss my to-be-husband, I'm going to steal your makeup kits and hide your -"

"WHAT?" Ruby sounded like an injured kitten. "You can't do that! My hair is already ruined, and I need my makeup kits. You keep your -"

“You two are bad, bad girls and scared the kitten."

Ruby and Philippine both stopped mid-sentence, and turned round to see Ariel, holding Cam's kitten in her arms, and eyeing them both like they had just jumped out of a spaceship, had antennae sticking out of their hair, and claimed to be Martians. The kitty did look scared and even though both Ruby and Philippine fully believed this to be because the kitten had finally found out how clooosely Ariel watched it [in actual, though, it was the two's banter that had scared it], both of them gave a short nod and fell quiet. For two seconds, that is.

Then Ruby looked in her hand mirror and said, all tearfully,

"My hair is a mess."

[This meant that ONE of her curls had come undone. Just one, yes.]

"You’re still going to get yourself a guy to snog before the night’s out," Ariel offered brightly, as she placed the kitten back in its basket and it cuuuurled up and half-closed its eyes. "In fact -"

"Guys," Philippine said quietly.

Both of them looked up at her and asked, in unison, "Yes?"

“Have you noticed the commotion?" Philippine asked. The three exchanged a glance as they did notice it, not the familiar commotion of students springing to their feet, and clambering and jumping out of the Express, and first years being ushered off, and everyone talking and laughing, but a roaring, daunting commotion. People asking questions, bumping into each other, and not getting off the train.

"This isn't Hogsmeade." Philippine had pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose [a serious sign] and thrown open the window. Outside, the night sky was a coal-black sheet of darkness, and nothing seemed known, and Philippine's voice was suddenly very small. “This is Dolezera -" another station, one a little behind Hogsmeade station - "We shouldn’t have stopped here -- why have we stopped?”

The fear ran through them in such suddenness that, for a long moment, neither spoke. The one term that came to each's mind, almost at once? The Dark Arts.

But hadn't Professor Dumbledore said, at the end of last term, that strength came from union, and union from love? He had sounded pacifying, almost certain that no harm could befall them, not as long as he headed any and all affairs that involved Hogwarts, and they had all believed him because no servant of that dreaded dark wizard that had risen to power in recent years, he-who-must-not-be-named had ever made an attempt on Hogwarts. They had left the majority of their anxieties back at home, and even their parents had been satisfied, because they believed that if a safe place existed, it was Hogwarts castle. But, the thought came to them now, the Hogwarts Express was not Hogwarts itself.

"Guys?" Philippine had risen to her feet. In the past six years, she had boarded the Hogwarts Express twelve times, and knew that it had never come to a halt before it reached its destination. It did not make sense for it to come to one now, especially this close to the actual station.

“There must be a normal explanation,” Ruby had put on the tone that said I'm-scared-to-death-but-I'm-going-to-act-brave, and although she did not realize this, that upset Philippine even more. The dark-haired girl, as intelligent a person as one might come across, scared easily; though once things got really bad, Philippine was almost always the first one to turn the phrase 'keeping one's cool in a critical situation' into reality. "I'm sure there is a normal explanation, in fact I'm sure -"

"You're scaring her, Ruby." Ariel's eyes had narrowed, for the first time in ages. Her gaze turned back into an all-smiles-and-cheer one half a second later, though, and she held up the kitten's basket. "See? Dotty Dot's kitty's asleep!" [It was not asleep, and got offended by this declaration. Could this human not see?] "That means everything is OKAY. I'm pretty sure there's a normal explanation -" Same phrase as Ruby's, but the tone had nothing of the uncertain, scared-to-death touch to it that Ruby's had had. "Let's go out and ask.”

See? Easy-peasy stuff. So said Ariel's tones.

Philippine relaxed. "Right," she said. "You're right. That's the thing to do." She rose to her feet. "I think all three of us should go." There is strength in union - Philippine remembered Professor Dumbledore's speeches like she remembered her date of birth. "Let's ask the -"

She stopped, as the compartment door slid open. In the stillness, sharp as the point of a needle, that had engulfed the compartment in the past few minutes, even the sound of the door opening sounded like the metallic, clanging noise the falling trunk had created [it still lay on the floor, now, since none of them had made a move to put it back in its place] and all three girls looked up, at once and simultaneously, at the door.

Looked up just as a man in deep black robes stepped in, his wand aloft, his eyes cold, a barrier of three more men at his back.



Reference:

[] "None of us knows -" Kathleen Norris.

AHHHHHHH!

Must... Read... More......
!!!!!

*stares*

I will... update again, tomorrow.. ?

Yessss! Update tomorrow! I don't want to stop reading but.... I have to... Hahah.
:tackle:

Aww, I'll try my best to update soon for the Bre. <33 I'm glaaad you're enjoying the story. ^__^

Hello Maxie. At first when the train stopped abruptly I thought it was Dementors. And then this made me think so even more. It shouldn't be so dark yet should it?
And Dolezera? Where is that, and why would they be stopping there? And it is suprising that Dumbledore could let anything like this happen. So they aren't Dementors. But who are they? Is it the man in Ariels dream? If so, then John is a good guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I must get to bed Maxie, but, I am puzzled about what is going on. I'm so glad you'll be posting soon. I'll be watching for your notice. Much love to you Maxie.

It's near Hogsmeade, and I don'ttt know why they're stopping there. I'll have to read the next update to find out.


ILY, Conniiiieee.

Yes, quite unlike Dumbledore.

Aww. I'm glad that you likey. I shall have an update ready by tomorrow. <33

Much love to YOUUU, my sweet Connie. <3

Sorry for not posting...but I've been busy with a band concert, church and whatnot. ANYWHO... Out of all three of the posts, that ^^ was my favorite part I also liked the kitty xD Great writing, PAMS!

'Sokay, sweetie, real life always comes first. ^__^

&& YAY for favourite parts! Glad to know you like it and the kitty. =D

Kitty, you are awesome and I will forever name you as my hero-of-awesome-thoughts!

Ahh, love the update Maxi!!

Dumblydore! What have you done now? And this line-that strength came from union, and union from love- I could hear Dumbledore speaking inside my head!!

And who are those masked men?! Death eaters?! Whooo? Aiee! cliffhanger!

I loved the banter between the girls, esp. Ruby and Phillipine, but... DOLEZERA.

Dun, dun, dunnn.

I'm scared for them, especially with that scary guy in their compartment now with his cronies, but... I always love me some bad guys.

Oh my gosh! Please, please, pleeeeease update soon!
Love the story. Pams!

LOL. That cracked me up. =D

YAY! Thaank you. <3



YOU should be a character in this story. I can see you popping up in random places to supply dramatic, background music.

*hugs my Melelell's head* <33

Yes, bad guys are haaawt.

O=
I shall, soon? ^__^

Thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxilocks

None of us knows
what the next change is going to be,
what unexpected opportunity is
just around the corner,
waiting a few months or a few years
to change
all the tenor of our l i v e s.

*suspicious*

Quote:

"How can you speak of Rylon and kissing in the same sentence? Don't you realize how awful it sounds to my ears? Is that how you thank me for saving you from a deadly, runaway trunk? I'm telling you, Ruby Sardin, if you ever kiss my to-be-husband, I'm going to steal your makeup kits and hide your -"

"WHAT?" Ruby sounded like an injured kitten. "You can't do that! My hair is already ruined, and I need my makeup kits. You keep your -"

“You two are bad, bad girls and scared the kitten."

I love these three girls! Their conversations are funny.

Quote:

See? Easy-peasy stuff. So said Ariel's tones.

Aww. Ariel's innocence an' optimism are great!!!

Quote:

Looked up just as a man in deep black robes stepped in, his wand aloft, his eyes cold, a barrier of three more men at his back.

~~Jay~~

There is
no such thing as a failed experiment,
only experiments with
u n e x p e c t e d
outcomes.

In the dim light in the compartment, the men cast hazy and uncertain shadows across the floor. Philippine [it had never taken much to scare her] gave a little scream and took a step backwards, back pressed against the open window, and eyes wide.

Ruby's gaze matched hers and, though neither spoke, the uncertain expansion of Philippine's pupils gave Ruby enough reason to let that stupid, noble Gryffindor recklessness kick in.

"Excuse me," she said, drawing herself to her full height [and Ruby, being the tallest of the three, did look impressive upon doing so] and stepping in front of both Philippine and Ariel - mostly Philippine though, I have to admit - before any of the men had a chance to so much as open their mouths. "May I ask what you want? In case you can't see, there are girls in this compartment, and it's amazingly rude of you to step in like this."

She did not sound scared, only brisk. Her tones carried distaste, an utter disregard for the intruders, and her dark, copper-coloured hair seemed to cackle electrically.

The three men behind the front one - Ariel, petting the kitten's head and slooowly telling it that yes, everything was fine and no, it did not need to worry [the kitten decided this human either had no brains, or did not know anything about boos and scares and Halloween] referred to him, in some bright corner of her mind, as the big, bad leader - exchanged glances that, all three of them realized, seemed far from angered or evil. Confused? They had no time to ponder over this, as the man at the front raised an eyebrow, and directed his gaze towards Ruby.

“Excuse me, madam?”

He had a deep, mature voice; the kind Philippine would have called sophisticated, Ariel niiiice, and Ruby 'Oooh, HAWT!'; the kind that belongs to people that have a heckalotof important things going on in life, and tend to stick to their own business, because there is so much of it and of such significance, and because they have the excellent sense no to interfere unnecessarily in others' businesses.

His one sentence caused Ruby's tones to falter. She turned round to look, first, at Philippine - the dark-haired girl, no longer possessing that air of a scared rabbit caught in a lion's lair, shrugged and looked thoroughly confused - and then at Ariel - the redhead waaaaved to Ruby, and held up the kitty in her arms to show Ruby that look! The kitty's absolutely happy so everything is okay! [The kitty sighed, and decided it might as well go to sleep. This human was nuts.]

“I was – " Ruby hesitated. "I mean, this is unexpected. I - all three of us, in fact - we'd like to know what is going on here." She had thought them to be dark artistes or death eaters, but now that the front man had spoken, it dawned upon her that none of them had an evil aura about them, though all of them looked brisk and business-like. "You are, err, not students," she added, rather lamely.

“Indeed not.” It was not any of the men that responded, but a voice that came from behind the blockage they had created, at the door of the compartment. One of the men stepped aside, and the person that had spoken appeared in their field of vision, a fair, dark-robed, middle-aged lady that had a confident air about her. She gave Ruby a quick, humourless smile, and held out a badge. "I'm Simone Black," she said briskly. "Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, at the Ministry. It seems there is a confusion here -" She turned to the men at the back. "I told you all not to hog one compartment, guys. Feller?"

The man that had spoken earlier gave her a short nod. "Confusion," he said briskly. "I've no idea how so many men ended up in here, and the young lady -" he looked at Ruby, who realized that he had handsome eyes. Amazingly handsome eyes - "Gave me no chance to send any of the men away." He turned round to the men at his back. "Two to each compartment, at the most," he said softly. "Understood?"

The men nodded, muttered and disappeared, and Simone Black turned to the three girls in the compartment again. "I apologize for the confusion," she said, not sounding apologetic at all. "Those men are new, and apparently don't have a hang of how things happen, yet." She cast a critical eye in the direction the three men had left in, before turning back to the girls. "Right. This is a security check, ladies. Hogwarts has been provided additional security this year, and we need to make sure everything is okay on the train before we let it proceed to Hogsmeade station.”

Ruby and Philippine breathed a mutual sigh of relief. Ariel? She was busy chatting to the kitten, telling it that see, everything did turn out alright, nothing to be concerned about. Simone gave the redhead an odd look, before shrugging and turning back to Ruby. [She had decided that, since Ruby had been the one doing all the talk, she must be the 'leader' of the trio.] "Luggage, ma'am."

Ariel [who had actually stopped listening to the general conversation the moment Simone Black had declared herself to the Head of MLE] finally put the kitten's basket to a side, and joined in the talk. "Luggage?" She asked, as she pretended to tuck the kitty in. "Ours?"

"Yes." Simone sounded like she had a lot to do, and each second she spent here, took from the time she could give to other, far more important matters. [This made Ruby want to scowl, but she had the good sense not to. Head of MLE meant Simone must be a busy lady, after all - her briskness could be forgiven.] “Ministry security will take your trunks and other belongings. They'll be searched and, should they be found to be okay, you'll find them in your dormitories once you reach Hogwarts."

She turned to the man behind her, the one that still stood in the door. "I'll leave you to handle this compartment, Feller, and then I need you in the conference room. There are things to be discussed."

“Hey!" Simone scowled as Ruby uttered this, and turned around, one eyebrow raised. "I have lipstick in my bag," Ruby protested. "I need that. Besides, I'm not having any of those -" She jabbed a finger in the direction of the corridor, now full of men knocking on compartment doors, declaring themselves to be Law Enforcement, and sometimes asking for permission to enter - "Go through my precious trunk. You can't be serious, lady."

Simone's gaze had a highly impatient touch to it, now. “Honestly. I have no time for this, Miss -”

“Sarden,” Ruby supplied unhappily. “Ruby Sarden.”

“Miss Sarden,” Simone said coolly. She did not seemed impressed by Ruby's behavior, and that caused Ruby to look even more bratty and rebellious. “The men are not going to search your trunks, Miss Sarden, those shall be passed on to female employees – and I assure you, none of them eat lipstick.”

Ruby scowled and crossed her arms against her chest, but Simone had already turned on her heel and left.



Reference:

[] "There is no such thing as a failed experiment -" Richard Buckminister.

love it!! love it!!!!!

PAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think Ruby is my favorite tho

OMGOMGOMGOMG! NEW STORYYY! <3 I'll comment when I read it, I just wanted to say I'm so excited.

Love you MyMaxshieeee. <3

YAY! *huggles* <33

Shall do.

ANAVANA! It's awwwesome to see you here. <33

Hello Maxie. I'm giving considerate thought to our Ariel. I don't think she is as dense as she appears. I think she is deeper than people give her credit, and I think she hears and sees more than others. Just like she gets her way with her mom by being the way she is, I think she is able to use her ability of charm and off handedness to get close to things she wants to figure out, without being suspicious.

Why would the MLI need to take their luggage? I don't buy their explanation. Something is fishy, I'm thinking.

But, I could be totally wrong! It's been known to happen before. I'll just wait to get the story from the brilliant author, Maxie.

Can't wait for your next post Maxie. Great story. Much love to you.