Nora chose the back cars of the train for literally no reason whatsoever. Truth be told, she was just wandering the corridors, still inwardly griping about all her bad luck, when she realized she had walked all the way to the back. Not really wanting to turn around and take the walk all over again, she slid into the first empty compartment. Well, this was it. This was the moment she had been dreading for months.

She was heading to Hogwarts.

That tiny voice in the back of her mind reminded her that she was still being dramatic, but she didn't want to focus on that right now. She was a witch. A WITCH. Of all the things that someone could surprise her with, they surprised her with revealing that she was a witch. If only her friends at her old muggle school knew, they'd laugh at her for the rest of their lives.

Hogwarts was horrible. She'd already decided that, and she'd never even stepped foot on the grounds.

Once her trunk had been safely stowed away, Daisy Cloud took her backpack and her violin case and her cat carrier and began looking for an empty compartment. Partly so she could spread out (she felt like she was carrying a lot) and partly for, you know, the silence. After passing a few more crowded areas, she spotted a compartment that, while not empty, only held a sole little student. A first or second year, by her estimation. Sighing, the sixth year Ravenclaw decided she could settle for this. Assuming the child was not too chatty.

"Hey," she said, poking her head in. "Do you mind?" She gestured at the seat furthest from the other girl, so they could both have their space.

Nora hadn't even considered the possibility that somebody might join her. It made perfect sense, though, and it wasn't much different than what would happen on a muggle school bus. She had just been perfectly content to sit alone and continue her inward gripings. Once again, that little voice in the back of her mind spoke up. It reminded her that she would be very, very bored if she spent the whole train rode alone. Besides, at some point, she would have to put all her disappointment aside and give this whole magical world a chance.

"Hey," she echoed. Did she mind? So she got a choice in this matter? That was really nice and polite of this girl. Not that Nora would have ever said that yes, she minded. "No, of course not." She made a gesture toward all the empty seats in the compartment. Her new companion didn't look her age at all. She was definitely one of the older students. "I'm Nora," she added. She wasn't sure if this girl was here to talk or just spend the rest of the ride with somewhere to sit, but Nora could at least give her name.

It wasn't planned, but at this point in his Hogwarts career, Mercer Branxton knew that his ride to Hogwarts was going to be something of a feast. He had all the goodies his mother had given him, and Mitsuki was going to have some weirdness to share (soup?). And if they managed to find Milo, who even knew what that particular friend might produce today. Plus the trolley would be by a few times, so all in all, Mercer was ready to set into as much food as he could find.

A bit weird of a plan for a train ride, but it was getting to be a tradition.

He found a car that was empty and immediately spread out along one whole side of the car, trying to touch the both the door and the window just by being as loooong as possible on the seats. So this was his side.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

It wasn't planned, but at this point in his Hogwarts career, Mercer Branxton knew that his ride to Hogwarts was going to be something of a feast. He had all the goodies his mother had given him, and Mitsuki was going to have some weirdness to share (soup?). And if they managed to find Milo, who even knew what that particular friend might produce today. Plus the trolley would be by a few times, so all in all, Mercer was ready to set into as much food as he could find.

A bit weird of a plan for a train ride, but it was getting to be a tradition.

He found a car that was empty and immediately spread out along one whole side of the car, trying to touch the both the door and the window just by being as loooong as possible on the seats. So this was his side.

Soup it was. Minestrone by the color and weight distribution of the containing dad had sent her off with. There was even a wrapped bit of sliced sourdough bread from mum as an accompaniment. Mitsuki had never quite taken to this particular combination, though she would save a slice of the bread for herself, but saw no point in informing dad of such news. He always seemed beyond content with this little gesture and there was nary a reason to crush his September 1st joys.

Hair down and swishing back and forth across her shoulders as she glided through the train corridor, the Ravenclaw paused to observe what must surely be a trail left by a tsuchinoko. Should she meet anyone she was certain had a pet toad or rat, she would almost certainly warn them to keep their familiars close.

It was not long after that the swirl of dust in the air guided her to the very compartment Mercer had situated himself in and had absolutely nothing to do with this particular compartment being the next one in her lazy stroll down the corridor. Smiling softly, Mitsuki reached into her pocket and sprinkled a bit of salt along the threshold of the compartment before stepping over said line and over to the floor in front of where her friend was currently sprawled out across. Saying nothing more, she unfolded the cloth wrapped around the bread and lay it out on the floor in front of her and the container of soup beside the now revealed bread. It was not a particularly wide space, the floor between the seats of the compartment, and seemed to grow smaller and smaller each term...but it would do.

Glancing up at Mercer next, she offered him the brown Rilakkuma soup spoon that came as a companion to the soup container and nodded.

Yes, Lev was shy because there were a lot of students and most of them seemed to be acquainted with each other already. Were they all friends before going inside the train or something? Lev is new to all of these and as soon as he bid his mother goodbye, he made his way inside the train with his head down. He's not really trying to avoid people, he just wants to get to the nearest compartment he can snag and perhaps rest. Lev made his way to one of the compartmens in the back cars as quickly as possible and sat down.

Maybe his head was in the clouds or he was just overthinking about bumping into other people that he didn't notice there were 2 other students in the compartment. Obviously he froze for a bit while he stared at the girl sitting next to him- who is probably the same age as him and let out a soft smile. "Hi" he said looking at her and as well as to the older student. Was this compartment full? Are they sisters? And was he just invading their space? "I'm sorry..." he quickly added.

She didn't mind. Daisy tossed her backpack on the floor, then carefully set down her violin case and seated herself with the cat carrier in her lap. She raised her eyebrows at the unprompted introduction, but decided this probably was a first year, and she'd best be kind. First years could be nervous, going to a new school and all. She remembered her own first train ride to Hogwarts and how she'd felt. "Daisy," she responded, as she settled in.

As another young student joined them, Daisy forced a gentle smile. He looked just as nervous as the first girl. "Hi," she said, trying to minimize her American accent. "You don't need to apologize." He hadn't done anything wrong, after all. It was a compartment with free space, and the door had been open. She wasn't one to say the more the merrier, but she wasn't about to be rude either.

The compartment door suddenly opened for a second time, causing Nora to become distracted from her conversation with the older girl. She had to admit that she was pleasantly surprised the compartment was starting to fill up. She didn't know what she was expecting other wizarding children to be like, but they were turning out to be far more normal than she'd imagined. She also realized she was talking about herself when having that thought, too.

She couldn't help her amused smile when the boy looked at her with a frozen expression. "Hey," she echoed. Her gaze traveled to the girl and then to the boy. The boy was definitely her age. Maybe a year older. No more than that, though. "I'm Nora." An odd sort of silence hung in the air, causing Nora to fidget a little. It was the same strange feeling that happened all the other times she'd been around people she didn't know. The conversation had stopped as soon as it had started, all thanks to none of them knowing any of the others.

She cleared her throat.

"So, umm...what year are you two?" she asked. "I'm a...first year." She started to give more of a muggle-type answer, but realized that wouldn't quite fit in here. Please tell me somebody else is going to start talking...

"I knew it would be soup," Mercer shoved off from both walls and swung himself into a seated position. He was less bag of elbows this term than he had been last, but he still had more to his limbs than he quite knew what to do with. It took a moment to avoid swatting the little spoon from Mitsuki's hand before he was able to encompass her smaller hand in both of his. And take the spoon, of course. Not hold hands. Just spoon.

"My mum made biscuits. Biscuit-adjacent things, at least. She says you have to pick a favorite so she can send you tins all year, and she'll know if you're fibbing." He tapped her noggin with the spoon. The cookie explosion was already set out, also on the floor. Several kinds of biscotti, delicate drop cookies dripping powdered sugar or sprinkles, pretzeled torcetti, and almond-studded pignoli wrapped in napkins that BETTER make it home safely or Mercer would lose an ear.

Summer had been eventful, and not just because Juli was officially her cousin now. A lot had gone down, and it had meant Sable Ileana wasn’t quite as torn about leaving Mo the cruppy behind as she had been last term and the term before. She knew now that her familiar would be okay hanging out with mum and dad and whoever else in the family crup-sat him, and she knew it would be that much more exciting when she visited home during holidays and such. Plus, there was everything at Hogwarts to look forward to. The Sphinx, Peeves, the portraits, the Forbidden Forest… and she knew there’d be a new headmaster so that was intriguing too. As long as he or she wasn’t evil. Or against the thirteen-year-old Lion’s plans.

The pirate ship was obviously still in the works, and she had smuggled more supplies for such in her trunk, but she’d also learned of spies and that had turned her thoughts in yet another direction. Pirate queens could also be awesome secret agents too. It was practically a given, and she’d curled her legs up underneath her on the bench as she’d sat down in an open compartment, a newly obtained idea notebook resting on her knees as she scribbled in it, mostly in a code that she’d only revealed to select others (her crew and family, of course) with a few rude sketches in the mix, while nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie she’d brought from home. An artist, she was not, but she had all the ideas.

Lev was embarrassed. Trying to take a few deep and slow breaths like he alway does when he composes himself. He need not be shy despite his first day. Everyone in this compartment seem nice in the first 2 minutes he sat down. His eyes lingered at the older student that didn't mind his intrusion at all. "thank you" he responded. Lev felt a lot better knowing that it's all fine. He first thought that maybe the two were waiting for their friends... Just like the other compartments are like.

His gaze returned to the girl next to her as she spoke up to introduce herself. "Hi, Nora" was his instant response. "I'm Lev. It's my first year as well. Nice to meet you!" adding a smile once more and as well as to the unnamed older student... well, he can't be too sure. She might have already did her introductions before he came in. His eyes glanced when he saw her violin case and a sudden rush of excitement plastered on his face because he also brought his too. "uhmmm.." he just wanted to know "you play the violin?" not that they needed to play it some other time at Hogwarts but it'd be cool if there was a club for violin players.

Kion was a bit nervous heading back to Hogwarts. Sure, he was in his third year, but the last two years weren't a breeze. After saying his goodbyes to his parents, the young Ingebretson dragged his luggage into a spare compartment before shutting the door.

Plomping himself into a seat, he sighed before looking over his parchment that listed elective classes that he was finally old enough to attend. He had plenty of time to spare before they arrived.

Nancy had TRIED to hang out with her twin brothers on the train, but surprise surprise - they'd wanted nothing to do with her. They were too COOL being TEENAGERS and all that to hang out with their little sister. She was really hoping that she ended up in a different house than the two of them because clearly, boys were stupid and it would be nice to have someplace where she could get away from them for a bit.

So she was struggling to find a compartment - all the empty ones had clearly been filled when she had been arguing with them. She paused as she walked by one compartment, however, when she realized she recognized that head of bright red hair. Nora! Oh thank GOODNESS she found someone she recognized!

Sliding open the door, she smiled at her fellow first year and made herself at home, plopping down next to the boy (Lev) and grinning at her. "Nora! I'm so relieved to find someone I recognize - Moritz and Joey were AWFUL, they said they didn't want their BABY sister hanging around them and wouldn't let them sit with me," she explained, wrinkling her nose in annoyance. She turned to the two other occupants and grinned at them. "Oh, hi! I'm Nancy!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

"I knew it would be soup," Mercer shoved off from both walls and swung himself into a seated position. He was less bag of elbows this term than he had been last, but he still had more to his limbs than he quite knew what to do with. It took a moment to avoid swatting the little spoon from Mitsuki's hand before he was able to encompass her smaller hand in both of his. And take the spoon, of course. Not hold hands. Just spoon.

"My mum made biscuits. Biscuit-adjacent things, at least. She says you have to pick a favorite so she can send you tins all year, and she'll know if you're fibbing." He tapped her noggin with the spoon. The cookie explosion was already set out, also on the floor. Several kinds of biscotti, delicate drop cookies dripping powdered sugar or sprinkles, pretzeled torcetti, and almond-studded pignoli wrapped in napkins that BETTER make it home safely or Mercer would lose an ear.

Of course he knew. He had been conditioned to believe so considering every term thus far had begun with a container of warm soup from her father. There was no need to point this out though. Mercer was correct in his correctness. His methods for accept the spoon were curious, but he was a rather curious person so she thought little of it.

"How will she know if I am fibbing if she has to ask in the first place?" Mitsuki countered airily and with the most subtle of winces as the plastic spoon clinked against her head. "Which are your favorites?" If she was to receive tins all year that she could not possible consume all by herself then it only made sense that they be something Mercer particularly fancied since he was the one who sometimes seemed to eat for the two of them while she picked at her food like a raven.

So what was with this boy anyway? Was he scared of girls or something? "Yeah, it's cool that you joined us. I barely know anybody here anyway," she said. It was true. She could literally count on one hand how many kids she knew at this school. Speaking of which, she didn't know any of the professors. Not even by name alone.

Then the talk turned to playing the violin, which meant that Nora was now a listener instead of a speaker. She didn't play any musical instruments. Nope. Dancing and basketball were her things. She had just gotten herself content to sit in silence for a little bit, when the compartment door opened again. Was there a 'Come one, come all' sign on the door or something? Not that she minded. It's just with her being a brand new firstie that knew maybe four people, she didn't expect to have this many people join her.

Oh, wait, she knew this person! She'd met her in Diagon Alley! She had to admit that even though she was trying her hardest to hate Hogwarts and everything that came with it, she was having a good time. "Hey, Nancy!" she said. Wait a minute, who were Moritz and Joey? Oh, they were some of Nancy's many twin siblings, weren't they? She made a face on Nancy's behalf. "Rude!" she boldly stated (in regards to what the twins had done).

"So, umm, question. Does anybody know what the professors are like here?" she asked. Most of them were first years like her, but maybe somebody had heard something. She instinctively turned toward Daisy, who was the oldest.

In the corridor after buying her fill of candy, Maria had managed to loose track of Vera. She had looked everywhere she could think but her friend was nowhere in sight. Unsure of what to do, she stood in the back bars area and considered her options. Maria needed somewhere to sit, it was a long train ahead and it'd be horrible to spend it in the hallway.

Pushing away the strands of curls that had dropped down into her eyes again Maria chose a compartment at random, knocked and the, opened the door to peer inside at the sole boy sitting on one of the seats that she sort of recognized. "Hi, can I join you? I promise that I'm friendly and nice." And not snaketongued like some students could be. "I'm Maria by the way. I'm a third year badger, and you are Kion right?" She asked curiously as she stepped inside the compartment.

Kion almost didn't notice the compartment door slide open, well, he heard it, but assumed it was another compartment door. But you know that feeling when you're being looked at, caused him to eye over his parchment to see a girl appear.

Since he was sitting down and slouching, she appeared to be a taller older student until he really focused and heard her voice, "Oh. Hi," Why did he feel nervous? Anyone would guess from the surprise entrance, sure, he would go with that. "Sure, you can sit anywhere you'd like," Moving himself to sit up before removing his hat to smooth his hair unconsciously. "Yeah, that's right. I'm a lion then... rawr." He chuckled a bit, surprised that she knew his name but then again they were in the same year and crossed the waters to Hogwarts two years ago. "It's nice to meet you Maria," Trying to think of something talk about, "Oh, are you excited about picking an elective or seeing Hogsmeade?" He asked.

"She just knows stuff. Also because we'll pick one thing and then a little bit later, we'll ask for something else, and she's like 'ah-ha!'," Mercer dug into the soup, literally, with the spoon. Soup wasn't a graceful food to eat, but no one ever accused him of eating gracefully. Or doing anything gracefully, honestly. He was a human golden retriever, and he lapped at the bowl accordingly.

"I like the biscotti in winter when I have cocoa, and I like the wedding cookies in summer with lemonade. The sprinkles are festive. The twisty ones are like breakfast. And I like the almondy ones in the fall because they feel... autumnal. So I like them all. I'd help you eat them all." Mercer eyed the bread, wondering if it was for him too. "Seen Milo?"

Saying farewell to her parents at the platform had made Amelia Adair's confidence waver, but once the train pulled away from the station, she quickly refocused. There were people to meet, names to learn, faces to memorize - plus important assessments to make about each one she encountered. Not judgments, really, she would insist, but merely a comprehensive catalog of who had good energy. There was value in first appearances, regardless of that idiom about judging books by their covers, she knew.

However, as she roamed the train corridor greeting anyone who made eye contact and introducing herself as "Mia," she discovered the Hogwarts Express equivalent of a gold mine: a Branxton with their parents' food. Her mum had advised her to not bug her pseudo-cousins and cut her own path for this first week, but she was knocking enthusiastically on the compartment door before she could give thought to this advice, likely fueled by some lingering nerves of being otherwise surrounded by strangers.

"Hi Mercer!" she had slid the compartment door open and moved as if to enter uninvited before noticing she was just about to drag her brand new shoes right through a suspicious white substance. "Oh, what's this?" Mia looked between the two occupants in the compartment and settled her gaze on the girl she didn't know for the first time. "Hi, I'm Mia! I'm after his food," she explained, taking an exaggerated step over the line of salt to be extra careful as she sidled up close to Mercer on the bench to hug him from the side with all the strength her 4'8" frame could muster. "Did Aunt Cat remember to pack any extra for me?" Please oh please?

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverTiger

Summer had been eventful, and not just because Juli was officially her cousin now. A lot had gone down, and it had meant Sable Ileana wasn’t quite as torn about leaving Mo the cruppy behind as she had been last term and the term before. She knew now that her familiar would be okay hanging out with mum and dad and whoever else in the family crup-sat him, and she knew it would be that much more exciting when she visited home during holidays and such. Plus, there was everything at Hogwarts to look forward to. The Sphinx, Peeves, the portraits, the Forbidden Forest… and she knew there’d be a new headmaster so that was intriguing too. As long as he or she wasn’t evil. Or against the thirteen-year-old Lion’s plans.

The pirate ship was obviously still in the works, and she had smuggled more supplies for such in her trunk, but she’d also learned of spies and that had turned her thoughts in yet another direction. Pirate queens could also be awesome secret agents too. It was practically a given, and she’d curled her legs up underneath her on the bench as she’d sat down in an open compartment, a newly obtained idea notebook resting on her knees as she scribbled in it, mostly in a code that she’d only revealed to select others (her crew and family, of course) with a few rude sketches in the mix, while nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie she’d brought from home. An artist, she was not, but she had all the ideas.

While Logan wasn't exactly thrilled about summer coming to an end and the beginning of another school term, he was excited to get back to the castle. There were still many places he had yet to explore. Plus, since the little encounter that had happened at Madam Malkin's, he was curious if there actually was a veela tapestry somewhere.

He was mentally making a list of possible places such a thing could be while he wandered up and down the long corridors. It gave him something to do besides just sit in a compartment the entire ride or go back to haggle with the trolley lady for some more sweets. Plus he had to work up an appetite for the feast.

Casting a brief glance in the compartment windows as he passed, the blond found himself pausing outside of one. Inside was the one and only Sable Armstrong, who was doing whatever she was doing in a notebook and munching on a cookie. The latter in particular is what prompted him to slide open the door, uninvited.

"Sup, Sabertooth?" Logan asked as he made himself right at home. "I hope you have enough cookies to share."

Hope Archard had struggled along the length of the train with her trunk and carpetbag, trying to be self-reliant, as her aunt had said she should be. Hope was sure she could be very self-reliant back home in the fields and woodlands, but here in London, in this crowded train station with the noise and all the people, she did not feel very self-reliant at all. After all, she was only eleven years old.

She finally got someone to take her trunk and stow it away somewhere, but it looked like most of the train was getting full, so she clambered into the back cars, walking along the corridor and peering through the windows. She nearly entered a car where she saw children that looked to be her own age (Nora, Daisy, Lev, & Nancy) but on second look, the car seemed pretty much full. Finally she ended up in a car with two older students and desparately hoped they would not mind sitting with a first year, because she did not think she could look any further.

"Hello, I am Hope Archard. Would it...would it be all right if I joined you here?" she said politely with a slightly formal air about her.

Yep, she'd been right, they were all first years. Nora, and Lev. Who was interested in her violin. "Yes, I play violin," she said simply. She wasn't one to chat too much unnecessarily, but if he asked she'd happily show him how to find the music room at Hogwarts, where she usually but not always did her practicing.

Then yet another first year joined the compartment, and the chatter was growing to be a bit too much for Daisy. She'd been hoping for a quiet train ride. "Um, you all have fun getting to know each other," she said politely. "I'm going to, um...find the food trolley. The professors are very nice, very smart. Good luck with your sortings!" She gathered her violin and her cat, since she wasn't actually planning on going to the food trolley, or on coming back to this compartment. She could chat with the first years some other time, if they wanted. Maybe not all together though.

Why did she feel hot all of a sudden? Was it warm in here or was it just Kions staring at her that brought on the nerves? And why was he smoothing down his hair? Did that mean that her hair looked awful to? Not wanting to think too much Maria crossed over to sit down on the cushioned seat near the window, and opposite Kion, but only after smoothing down her own hair behind her ears. She turned her face towards Kion just in time to hear him imitate a lion which caused Maria giggle to heartily. "Not bad, you almost sound like a real lion Kion." They were in the same year and thus she remembered when he like her had put on the sorting hat to be sorted two years ago.

Maria was about to ask what Kion thought about Gryffindor when he changed the topic to electives and Hogsmeade and she replied enthusiastically almost bouncing on her seat. "Yes I am! I wish you could take all the electives, but I'm settling for COMC, Runes and Muggle Studies. What electives are you going to take?" She opened her mouth to say something more when she was distracted by the opening of the compartment door as it let in a younger girl. A first year if Maria had to guess. After a quick look over at Kion she smiled welcomingly to the other girl. "Hi, of course you can! It's nice to meet you Hope. I'm Maria, third year." She introduced herself and then gestured kindly to the vacant seat beside her. "Want to sit here or beside the window?"

Kion could feel the compartment get warmer as Maria walked over to sit across from him. If it wasn't her smoothing her waves away from her ears that got him smiling, it was her giggling at his lion imitation. His thick eyebrows rose at some of the classes she mentioned, "Oh, I was thinking about CoMC well! We might in the same classes then," As for his other choice, "I was thinking of Divination or Ancient Runes but it depends on what my schedule can fit... so how come Muggle Studies?" He was curious and maybe, just maybe he would be tempted to join it too.

Kion's head turned at the sound of tHe compartment door opening, where he saw a younger girl. Probably a first year, "Hello Hope," He didn't mind the company, with Maria already extending the invitation he nodded in agreement, "and I'm Kion, also a third year. Is this your first year here?" He figured to know before possibly confusing someone on house names if they didn't know them already.