Connor nodded. Not that he knew much more about the UK he had just arrived here shortly before school started to get school supplies. He didn't even know if he liked England yet but here he was living here already. But his mother seemed happier and it was apparently a good school, though he met a boy earlier who said something about it being dangerous, what was not a comforting thought.

"Maybe someone needs to tell them that we're not all first years." He replied back, grinning to himself. He followed Kohen down the corridor, delighted when they found an empty compartment, his feet were getting tired from looking for one. Looking out the window he could see the countryside. It was long and expansive, so different from back home, different than Salem too. He had a strange feeling, like he was lost like his life could go a million different ways and while it was scary it was also kinda nice.

He heard Kohen from inside of his own little stupor and turned back to reality. "Ohh, i mean not too much. I'm a Half-Blood. My Mom went but Dad was a muggle and Mom didn't say much other than that her whole family were Ravenclaws, i know they have houses there? I'm not really used to that. And some kind of magical hat puts you there." Some things about Magic he still found to be very weird. "But I met some kid earlier who said that it was a bit dangerous too. But he was a third year, so maybe he was just being a kid?" He knew some of the younger students tend to have wilder imaginations. But the kid did seem serious..

Kohen wasn't too sure he would have been able to navigate the narrow corridor any better as a first year. He wasn't overly tall but even back then he would probably have struggled with his large trunk getting stuck on door handles and whatnot. He actually liked the train. It was much cooler than the one that had brought him to Beauxbatons every year, but this whole "old school design" sure had its downsides. Ah well, it couldn't be helped though and at least Connor didn't seem miffed about their little accident back there. Maybe all of this would even end with them becoming friends.

He himself took a good look at the countryside that was rushing by outside, before asking Connor about Hogwarts. His family had lived in Paris before moving back to a smaller town here in Scotland and he had always missed the countryside while he was at home during his holidays from Beauxbatons. Wherever Hogwarts exactly was, he hoped it would be surrounded by mountains and vast fields.

"A magical hat? That sounds... different. I'm not used to houses as well. We were just separated by gender and that was that. Didn't need a magical hat for that," he grinned. "Do you know anything about the houses? You said your family was, what, Ravenclaw?" He probably shouldn't have been surprised about this whole sorting business. He knew that private Muggle schools in the UK often had houses like that, but he hadn't really thought about any of that up until now... Just another thing to be nervous about, he supposed. Was there something like a house for magical losers? He sure as hell didn't want to end up there.

"Dangerous? Well... I've heard some stories from the last war, of course, but I hope it's just dangerous enough to be interesting and not actually life threatening."

Bay was in his own little world, but he saw when Cris and Jasmine stepped out to go get some food. He had some sweets with him so he was all set. Smiling he laid his head on Lux and started to get comfortable as he closed his eyes he heard a voice he hasn't heard from in a few weeks… TESSA he thought as his eyes popped open and he jumped up but being careful not to hurt Lux.

"TESSA!!!!!!! I've missed you" he picked her up and gave her a little turn, for he couldn't fully twirl her in the compartment. Placing her back down on the ground he couldn't be more happier. the only thing different about this year so far was Sander, but he didn't want to mention that to get Tessa upset.

"How are you?" he asked as he took his seat. Seeing Cris and Jasmine made their way back with treats, everyone was here now! he totally felt like saying GROUP HUG! but he thought that was being silly.

Looking out the window he wondered how much longer to Hogwarts, seeing as they had to put on their robes eventually.

Connor laughed a bit at that. "Well, no i would hope no one needs a magical hat for that. Salem was pretty much the same, Gender not house." He nodded and sat forward a little bit. The thought of houses made him nervous because it seemed that whatever house you end up in that it was how people would end up looking at you. He didn't like that idea.

"Well, there are four houses as far as i know." He wasn't completely sure, he hadn't asked too many questions until recently. "There's Ravenclaw and it's where all the smart people go." He wanted to end up there but he knew he was never particularly smart. "Gryffindor is where they stick all the brave and arrogant people, or at least that's what my mom said. Slytherin is for the ambitious and sneaky..and Hufflepuff is for everyone else." He wasn't sure that's how things were but..this was what he had heard.

"So I don't know what to expect at all. As far as it being dangerous i've never heard anything recent about it being like that." But maybe his mother never said anything because she knew he wouldn't want to go if it seemed dangerous or scary? What if it was dangerous and this was all just to get him to go there? His Mom wouldn't do that. Right? Right!

Bay's excitement was way too adorable, Lux thought as she watched him with Tessa. It had been a few weeks since either of them had seen her, so it was absolutely wonderful to talk to their friend again. "Yeah, I'm really glad I came here to Hogwarts." If she hadn't, she wouldn't have met Bay and all her wonderful friends; Lux wouldn't trade this for the world. "Sadly, I don't think there is anything new in Diagon Alley." Though she hadn't been to all the shops, so maybe she was wrong? With a sudden thought, she turned her attention to Bay. "What stuff did you bring from where you interned?" They could have a lot of fun bringing in the new term, she thought mischievously.

As Cris and Jasmine returned and a heap of stuff was placed on Cris' trunk, her eyes widened. "What did you guys do? Buy everything on the trolley?" This was absolutely incredible. Not paying much attention to what was going on around her, Lux stared at all the goods and thought about how wonderful a butterbeer would be right now.

Maybe this whole sorting into houses thing was really something unique to Hogwarts in the Wizarding world after all. He found himself wishing that they would just randomly sort you, but "magical hat" sounded like something that would scan your brain... or your personality, probably. He didn't feel comfortable with that. He himself wouldn't claim to know all that he was made of and now some hat was going to just have a peek inside his head and categorise him? Maybe it was because he had grown up with Muggles for most of his life, but he didn't feel comfortable with that.

His eyebrows shot up as Connor told him what he knew about the different houses. "Okay, so basically... Whatever house we end up in, people are always going to assume we are super intelligent, sneaky, arrogant and brave or we just didn't fit in anywhere else. Wow. If that's how it is, I don't even know where I would like to end up. Ravenclaw maybe. Better be intelligent than sneaky, I guess."

He guessed Connor also had his hopes set on Ravenclaw. It did seem to run in his family after all. It was probably better not to put too much thought into all of that though... He'd only end up crazy with nerves when the hat finally did touch his head.

"Well... I guess they wouldn't teach there if it really was that dangerous... right?" Then again, he had met some very eccentric wizards and witches so far. The Wizarding world sure had different standards than the Muggle world for what they considered "safe". If his parents could hear what the two of them were talking about right now, they would probably have a conniption fit and drag him back home and to some Muggle school.

"What year are you in?" He guessed the other boy could be a bit older than him but it was hard to tell. He himself was usually older than his classmates with his birthday being in September.

Ian came deeper into the compartment, trying to settle himself into what was going. Just an hour ago, he was trying to calm his mum for the third straight year and now he was in a compartment on the train with two younger girls. Not just two girls, but 2 out a set of three triplets (one of whom seemed to be missing). He was a little confused because neither seemed particularly concerned about the absence of the other or that they found themselves to a new train separately.

Ian shrugged and took a seat next to AJ, across from Angel. He listened to them both as they caught one another up, and seemed to have some issue about a stinging hex in a place they might possibly should not have been. Either way, here they were acting like sisters and then hugging it out.

Angel's book sounded interesting, from a muggle point of view. That sounds like a very detailed history of the UK. Is there some reason you're more interested in that depth of history, or were you expecting a really long train ride?

To AJ's request, he turned to her and smiled. Is there anything in particular you'd like to know? The castle is rather large and there's much going on there and on the grounds. Add to that, magic users and creatures as well as ghosts and house elves and progessors, there's so much I could tell you.

"Why didn't you stay with Abby?" AJ had a good excuse as to why she wasn't there, but she didn't understand why Angel left their sister. AJ was sure that she would end up finding the both of them together on the train wondering where she was. "Should we look for her?" Maybe she got caught up with her nose in a book and got left at the platform, it was something that screamed Abby after all.

Dramatic much? "We didn't almost get killed." Her eyes involuntarily moved to the spots on her arms where the red welts still were. "I don't know how I managed that either, but I sure am glad." She did not need a talking to from her mum. Angel then went mad to happy in a split second which only confused Aubrey more. Her sister sure had been wishy washy a lot lately. Before she could respond she was being hugged. "It's forgotten." which would only benefit her really. She hoped that this was something her mum would be in dark about forever.


Aubrey listened on as Angel surely bored Ian with the whole history bit. They were going to Hogwarts and here Angel was submersed in a common old muggle book. She politely let them finish out their conversation though even though she kind of wanted to talk to Ian by herself so she could get all of the information without any interruption.

"There are ghosts?" That was cool. "What's a house elf? Is it like a santa claus elf or something? Was there even a santa claus in their world she wondered. "Oh wait, can we practice magic now?" She remembered Ian saying that there weren't any rules or something to that affect on the train.

Okay. Silas had not yet found a compartment... mainly because he had decided to wander about for so long. He continued to glance into every few compartments that he passed, a smile in place.

He wasn't shy... but he also wasn't like... rushing into random people's places demanding a seat.

Hogwarts life was tough, dude.

He was a McLaggen so that should mean SOMETHING. But like... there were WAY too many cliches. Blah.

Where was he gonna sit?

But...his hair was so long. So Kyroh doubted it. His hair probably did block his view of the world but Nigel just thought otherwise.

Maybe someone should cut it?

Kyroh stared at Nigel, trying to decide if he wanted to offer the boy help to cut his hair. He seemed to like it though so after a few rounds of thought he decided to say nothing.

"Nothings wrong. You're not broken. And you're not train sick." The first year repeated with a nod. Only slightly confused. Well...maybe he was just someone who liked being quiet. There were a few kids in his Muggle class like that. Standing up Kyroh reached into his pocket and pulled out two slightly smushed packages of sugar mice. Walking over to the quiet boy he gave him one and then gave one to Nigel before sitting down. "If you're not sick you should eat some candy because why not? You're on a magic train." Magic. Trains. Candy. All things that sounded like they went together pretty well. He took his seat again and turned his attention back to the window in search for a three legged cow.

Man. Older kids were kind of boring.

Connor only knew what he had heard and honestly he wasn't looking forward to being 'sorted' as he had heard it called. The word had such an odd ring about it, like they were just things being put somewhere. He wasn't sure that he wanted to be sorted, especially in a room full of people. Couldn't he just put on the hat in a closet or alone somewhere? And then just tell them what it said? He supposed not.

"Pretty much, and i've heard they all have different dorms. Each house is put together. They separate the guys and girls though, so at least that will be normal." He said and hoped that there might be some once of normalcy? Something a bit like home, or like Salem. He was just happy he seemed to have found a friend in Kohen so far.

He thought about the question for a moment. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad. They let eleven-year-old's go there so it couldn't be like SUPER dangerous or anything. Hmm. "Yeah, maybe not. I mean..there are younger kids there and there are probably adults all over the place. I'm sure that kid i talked to was just nuts.." He really hoped so anyway. "I'm a fifth year, what about you?" He figured they were around the same age, who knows..maybe they were the same age? He was never good at guessing ages.

Nigel was going to pay for this later. That was for certain. But the kid got Ascanius to talk. That was impressive since he was male. Nigel was trying to hide a smirk. Which would make it worse. Though now it was getting a little tiresome. Nigel was just going to be here a few mintues to talk and then leave again. Not stay.

He did not question Kyroh staring at his hair because really who doesn't. It was the perfect length and he did not need a hair cut. Thank You. He only trusted a couple people to cut his hair. He had a list. Candy...Free Food. Well Nigel never say no to free food. "Uh.....Thanks"

Do not try a be a claw right now and correct the what looks to be a first year. Wait till he was in his robes with his badge on. Even if Ascanius was sick the candy probably would only make it worse. Not better. And what did a magic train have to do with anything. not like it can magically make you better or something.

Getting hit by Ascanius was sounding more fun that this sitting the more Nigel thought about it.

"Well you know what they say; there's only a fine line between insanity and genius." Nicholas extended a foot and drew an invisible line across the floor between them. Then he laced his fingers in his lap and went back to looking out the window. They'd entered a more hilly region now, leaving behind the fields of cows and sheep for rockier terrain.

"I've no idea about the grounds around the castle, but it seems to me that we may be getting closer."

Was this kid TRYING to make him fat? Jeez, Ascanius didn't look this ruggedly handsome by accepting handouts from every random kid who gave him candy. Hang on. That sounded really weird. S'not that a ton of kids offered him candy or that he took candy from kids or...y'know what. He was sick of this, he was gonna stop talking.

But not before this. "No thanks, kid. I didn't get this good looking by eating that whenever it pleases me. You gotta be moderate...or work out, yeah?" And the underclassmen looked like he did neither of those.

Yeah....he gave the kid looks....he needed to work out.

There was one thing and one thing alone on Alexander Christoher-Cornelius Regnaldo's mind at the moment, And that was he had to get to safety. His brothers had tormented him mercilessly all summer about how dangerous Hogwarts really was . They told stories after stories of bullies,man eating plants and Dementor attacks, 'Gump' as his brother would teasingly call him until they realized he actually liked it, scurried through the corridors until he reached the middle cars. If anything were to happen at either ends of the train he would be safe. Atleast for a littlle while.

Entering the compartment he quickly closed the door and slid to the seat directly at the window. He curled up, Entering into the fetal position.

He was scared and wanted his family,they would protect him. thoughts of his family caused him to become more and more downhearted until tears began to slowly trickle down his face.. He wanted to go home.

The front of the train had been checked but there was no sign of her kneazle. It was ridiculous to think he could have gotten very far in this crowded train to begin with. Ugh. She didn't have time for this and wanted to head back to the Prefect Compartment to ask Kaiden what the Headmistress had been on about.

Throwing open what might have been the millionth door, she spotted....a kid crying? Back up Cambridge, find a different Compartment. Felix clearly wasn't here and tears were NOT her specialty.

"I'll...er....just let'chu get back to that then..." She said, back out slowly, until something about the boy caught her attention. She squinted at him, willing to look pass the tears for this moment. "Don't I know you?"

Uhh.....huh?

"I don't think candy changes the way your face looks." The quiet guy sounded like he was saying that if you ate too much candy you wouldn't look good.That wasn't possible!!

....Right? Kyroh looked over at Nigel as if asking him if what the other guy said was true without really asking him.

And now the quiet guy was giving him looks, which only made Kyroh feel like he had done something wrong! Without much thought the first year pressed his body against the window as if trying to make himself smaller.

*sniff *sniff

Gump used his forearm to wipe the tears from his eyes. His brothers wouldn't let him live it down If they found out he had started crying before he even got to school. But despite that fact the tears still came.

Gump made a start. His eyes grew wide as the compartment door was flung open and a blonde girl made her presence known. Quickly he tried to back himself more into the corner. Was she one of the bullies that go around looking for weak first years, was she going to hurt him?

He stopped trying to disappear into the wall once he realized he had see this girl already a few times before and she hadnt seemed that bad, then she asked if she knew him.

"Umm..your granparents are friends of my family, we came to their party last summer."

There we go, that's how she knew him. Friend of her grandparents. Merlin knew they had a boat load of those just hanging around waiting for the next party and such. Her grandparents were good hosts, that much she'd admit, no matter how dreadful they were to anyone of mixed blood.

"Right...yeah...you were that kid forever in the corner." She never did find out what was so interesting about that section of the wall but the girl was usually too busy to try finding out.

"Didn't know you were finally old enough for Hogwarts." Even now he didn't look old enough. The kid had a lot of growing up to do if he was going to make it to the end of term. Smallest ones always got sacrificed first. It was a miracle she made it home her first year.

After another glance around she'd answered her own question, no Felix here. "I'll catch you around, yeah?" Had to find that feline before he hurt himself.

"Yeah, do know how long it will be until we get to Hogwarts?"

Marisol blushed. Did Penelope speak Spanish? Probably not, as she didn't seem to be fluent, but still. It was nice. At the same time, she didn't want to exclude Lucy.
"Thanks!" Mari rushed in her native language. "Your Spanish is pretty good. Well, I guess I like a lot of things. Like rock climbing. And pickles."

The first year probably seemed weird. It was just that she hadn't spoken to someone her age for over a week. "Yes, please, on the sandwich thing."

Lucy said something about Hogwarts and the train. Mari supposed that they would arrive at the school any minute now. The kid was every bit as excited as Lucy, and probably more nervous. Boy, did she hope she learned more English!
"Me also."

"No," Marisol replied, hoping Penelope had been asking what she thought the girl was asking, "but time go." Her inner bubbly self hoped it was soon.

Penelope looked out the window. "It looks like we will be there any minute now." (The Hogsmeade thread where you can get on the boats and the start of term feast threads are open now, so I assume that means we can get off the train) "Maybe we can get a first year boat to Hogwarts together, if you want to."

Ian smiled. No, I don't think they're like Santa's elves. They are better. They are the ones who do the cleaning in the castle and cooking and a number of many other things. Apparently, some wizarding families have house elves in their homes. That was a little disappointing, because I thought it would be nice to have one at home, but it's hard to do that when you're the only magical person in your family. He took a sip of the pumpkin juice he'd bought from the food trolley. And yes, there's a ghost for each house and then some free ones that inhabit the castle itself.

Ian looked out the window of the car and noticed they were nearing the castle. Oh, my! We're very nearly there. When we get off the train, don't worry about your things. They'll be taken to the castle. You both will get on the boats. I liked those more than the horseless carriages we have to ride. The carriages give me the creeps. Some of the kids say they are pulled by thestrals, but I've not seen them.

Better than Santa's elves? Well, that was something that she was just going to have to see for herself. Although, if they did all the cleaning and stuff for her then they were already better than Santa's elves in her book. She wasn't an untidy person, but she didn't like cleaning. Did anybody really? "I want one of those." Then she heard what he said about obtaining one. "Maybe because there are three of us we will be able to get one." Who knows. They probably would only give them out to parents who were magical. She could hear it now... you're just a child, you couldn't possibly take care of an elf. Blah, blah, blah. "We have our own ghost?" Well, it was only fair and all.

"Already? But we didn't even get to play with our magic sticks or anything." That was a complete bummer. At that very moment her stomach decided to growl. "Is there food there... like as soon as we get there?" She should have gotten herself something off of the food trolley instead of talking her new friends ear off. No carrying her trunk... you weren't going to have to tell her twice about that. "We can't go together?" Another bummer. She was going to have to go with her sister which really wasn't that bad, but she couldn't answer questions like Ian could.

Ian shrugged when she metntioned the possibility of getting one because there were three in their family. I don't know. My understanding is their like an inheritance and are passed from one generation to another. They tend to live a good deal longer than humans do. I'm not sure how you get one. Might be a question for the Care of Magical Creatures professor.

He grinned, knowing she was probably just as excited as she was disappointed. Aye. The trip did seem much shorter than it has in the past. Usually though, I'm just reading in the corner and not spending as much time talking. I've enjoyed this trip a good deal. He finished off his pumpkin juice and put on his hufflepuff robes. No. The firsties take the boats. Next year, you'll be in the carriages as well. Maybe you'll get sorted into Hufflepuff and you'll be able to sit next to me at the feast. The feast doesn't start until after the sorting and the Headmistress' speech, but there's loads to eat. He reached into his pocket and took out one of the meat pasties he'd bought from the food trolley. Here. This might keep ya until we eat.