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New Prefect
Author: Finley
Date: 09-20-17 17:59
Finley sat in the Prefects Compartment on the Hogwarts Express and listened as the Head Boy, Franciscus Vanderbilt, and the Head Girl, Callie Blackwell, explained prefect duties. For most of the students crammed into the compartment, the explanation was old news. For Finley, the other fifth years, and the two new seventh year prefects, the meeting was very much appreciated.
She hoped she would do a good job. Before leaving the house this morning, she polished the silver Prefect's Badge that was now pinned to the front of her robes. It was her latest prized possession.
"I suppose that does it," Callie said, looking to Franciscus to confirm that they'd covered all bases.
"Does anybody have any questions?" he asked, looking to the collected prefects.
A few asked questions, even an old hat who wanted to know about the schedule for patrolling the train's corridors. When every last detail was sorted out, the Head Boy and Girl dismissed the prefects.
Finley didn't have patrolling on her immediate agenda, so she left the compartment to find Phoebus. She had to walk the entire length of the train to find him, and when she did, she saw that he was sitting with Eirene and his sister Cynthia. As Eirene was on the bench next to Phoebus, Finley plopped down next to the younger Yewbeam.
"There's our Do-Gooder," Phoebus remarked. "Now we'll have to be on our best behavior."
Finley snorted and looked over at Cynthia. "Where's Brianna?"
Cynthia pulled a very unladylike expression and said, "I don't care where she is."
"They're fighting again," Phoebus explained. "Something happened in Diagon Alley and they hate each other right now. It was about cats, I think."
"It was about kitten heels," Cynthia corrected, "and I don't want to talk about it."
Finley raised her brows and decided to change the subject. "So, is it just me, or are the first years absolutely tiny this year?"
Before The Train Leaves
Author: Furnella Hodfuffer
Date: 09-20-17 20:16
Standing on Platform 9 3/4 Louis asks for perhaps the fiftieth time, "But why don't you want to take Fitness & Athletics?"
Margaret scowls. "I told you if you asked again I'd box your ears."
She raises a hand but Stella grabs hold of Margaret's wrist. "Enough!"
"But, Mum," "Don't but Mum me. No ear boxing and if I find out you smacked your brothers ears or anything else once you're on the train I shall tell Uncle AJ to dock your house points and to put you on some sort of detention."
"Muuuuum," Margaret starts to protest only to have her father sternly warn, "Not another word."
Margaret silently seethes. Louis gloats but makes sure he's turned away from Margaret. She'll find some way to get him back, he's certain of it, and if she could see his face right now whatever she does will be worse.
Russ gestures to the train. "See if there's a compartment you want, Louis. You too, Margaret."
They head in different directions, Louis moving to the nearest car. He thinks he saw one of his roommates this way a minute or two ago. He locates both Adiran Balfour and Dave Croft in a compartment near the rear of the car. Louis goes to the window, opens it and calls to his father, "Dad, here!"
When his father doesn't seem to hear over the cacophony of noise Louis begins waving his arms, calling out again. When that doesn't work he tells his friends, "Be back in a mo."
Fetching his dad, Russ and he get Louis's things loaded into the compartment. Russ greets the other two then leaves to see if Margaret has found a spot yet. He finds her with Stella, walking up just as she asks, "He's your ex-husband so why do Louis and I call him Uncle AJ?"
"You know why, Margaret."
"Sort of, maybe, but not really."
It's Russ who replies, "It was AJ who helped get Louis and you into hiding after Camp Lollipop was liberated. He and his family made sure you were safe. That makes them like family to us, at least in your mother's and my opinion."
Margaret gives her father a shrewd look. "Don't I remember hearing a story about how you and he got into a fight while at Hogwarts?"
"Yes, but that was a long time ago. Your mother and I consider AJ a friend."
"So, Mum, your divorce wasn't a bad one?"
"No. Sad a little but not bad. Besides, if AJ and I hadn't split, I wouldn't have married your father, which in turn means neither you nor Louis would have been born."
Russ puts a hold on any other questions Margaret might have. "We need to get you and your things on the train. It's going to leave soon."
In under two minutes Russ is shoving Margaret's trunk into the luggage bin of the compartment where some of her friends are already ensconced. After bidding her parents goodbye, with promises to write about how the first day of classes goes, Margaret sits beside Ingrid Hyland, accepting an apple flavored candy. Stella and Russ go to tell Louis goodbye and also extract a promise from him to write as well then return to the platform to wave the train off when it pulls out a short time later.
********
While the Kegg family was talking and getting Louis and Margaret into the train, a nervous Danielle Hodfuffer shyly asks, "May I sit here?"
"Are you a first year too?"
"Yeah."
"Then sure, come on in."
"Do you not like other years?"
"They're okay I guess but I'm a first year too and want to make friends with someone I'll have classes with, maybe even room with."
Danielle gestures to her mother standing in the narrow train car corridor. "In here, Mum."
Phlagmelina helps Dani get her things stowed then hugs and kisses her daughter. "If you need anything, write. If it's something important, let Uncle AJ know."
"Yes, Mum."
Gage and Rhona, who had pushed into the compartment behind their mother, gives Dani hugs as well. A reluctant Phlagmelina pulls herself away, says goodbye again, then leaves with her younger two, Gage asking once they're back in the corridor, "I still don't get why Dani's riding the train when she could wait in Hogsmeade."
Though they don't live in Hogsmeade with Phlagmelina being one of the owners of the Crown & Cauldron, Dani could have waited for the train to arrive at Hogsmeade Station, joining the other first years there to cross the lake, most likely with Hagrid. In response to Gage she Phlagmelina says, "Dani's hoping to have a little time to make friends before classes start."
"She has friends from school," Gage points out, still confused.
"Make more friends. Dani wants to make even more friends." It suddenly hits Phlagmelina that she never asked the name of the girl occupying the compartment Dani had chosen. She'll be sure to ask in her first owl.
Siblings
Author: Gerry
Date: 09-21-17 18:17
For the first time, Gerry shared a compartment on the Hogwarts Express with his brother. Gareth Martini-Blackwell was excited to be starting his first year at Hogwarts, even though it meant having to do school work, homework, and tests. Simply being away from home without his parents to monitor his every move was a dream come true.
The brothers lived in Hogsmeade but had wanted to ride the train because it was the traditional route to Hogwarts and their friends were doing it. Besides, where else could they get all the sweets they could afford without a parent to tell them no?
Gareth was a lot like his older brother. They were both rather lazy, though they were not without ambition. Both wanted to follow in their father's footsteps and become Aurors. The brothers also liked to play pranks.
Also in the compartment were Gerry's best friend Will and Will's sisters Brianna and Cheyenne. Cheyenne, like Gareth, was new to Hogwarts. Unlike Gareth, she was more nervous than excited about starting a new school. It was why she was in the compartment with the boys. Cheyenne wanted to be near her big brother.
The only reason Brianna was there because she'd had some sort of falling out with her own best friend. Gerry found Brianna rather annoying.
"Someone passing by might get the wrong idea and think we are two couples and a fifth wheel," Brianna remarked. She was only 12, but she was very observant.
"I must be the fifth wheel because you girls are my sisters," Will said, "or maybe one of you is the fifth wheel because Gerry and I are in a secret relationship."
Gerry shot pumpkin juice out of his nostrils, which elicited "Ewws!" and "Gross!" from Brianna and Cheyenne and intense laughter from Will, Gareth, and Gerry himself.
Gareth spoke up then. "Gerry had a girlfriend once."
"What? I did not," Gerry protested.
"Really? Anyone we know?" Will asked, intrigued.
"It was Grace Valentine," Gareth supplied.
"No, it wasn't!" Gerry protested. "We played together as tots. That's all."
"That's not what I heard," Gareth said.
"What did you hear?" Brianna asked. She seemed to be filing the gossip away for sharing as soon as possible.
Cheyenne had no idea who Grace was and could only listen quietly to the discussion.
"They met for playdates," Gareth answered. He waggled his eyebrows and made kissy faces.
Will burst out laughing and Brianna rolled her eyes. The gossip wasn't as good as she hoped. Boys really were stupid sometimes.
(Magnus) New World
Author: Sophie McCourt
Date: 09-22-17 02:22
The nerves did not abandon Magnus McCourt completely. Until a few months ago he had ignored the fact that he was a wizard. Magic spells belonged to books and movies. But it was real, and here he was on a train on his way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He thought he heard someone say the school itself was a castle. Could that be true? Surely the government would know about the existence of a castle where magic was taught. It was as if his world had been moved upside down. Magnus was still trying to put all pieces together.
At first, he did not want to go to Hogwarts. The concept of a boarding school sounded too old fashion and severe. He was an only child and he didn't know if he would be capable of sharing a bedroom with other children his age. The older students frighten him. Magnus had boarded the train at the last minute, reluctant to let go of his mother. Almost everyone were taller than him, and seemed to know what they were doing. People smiled, laughed and hugged. After a long summer, everyone was eager to see their friends again and go back to school for all sort of new adventures. 'Quidditch' was also a word Magnus heard often, as he tried to find a seat. He had no idea what that meant.
He finally found his way towards a compartment filled with other first years. Some, just like him, seemed quite insecure, while others were very enthusiastic. At some point, someone started to talk about the school's houses.
"My sister Sophie is a Hufflepuff. Patricia is a Ravenclaw and Belinda a Slytherin," a girl shared.
Magnus had learned earlier that her name was Eileen. She seemed to know a lot about the school, but he now understood why that was so.
"I just hope not to end in Ravenclaw," another boy said. "I have a crazy uncle who was a Ravenclaw. I don't want to end up like him."
Magnus didn't understand most of the conversation, but he was able to understand that the students were divided between four houses. Some of them, Eileen included, seemed to know all about Hogwarts houses. But when Magnus spoke for the very first time and asked her how they were included in each house Eileen couldn't tell.
"None of my sisters told me. It's not random, I am sure of it. Something happens. But I don't know if it's a test or if the professors decide on their own…"
Magnus noticed that just like him she was also nervous. At least part of the school was still a mystery to her, as it was for him. That made him feel a little better, because it made realize he was not alone.
Older Boys
Author: Susan Fricks
Date: 09-22-17 04:01
Susan and Patricia shared a compartment aboard the Hogwarts Express. They exchanged stories about their summer and the plans and goals they had for this school year.
The compartment door opened and a boy's head appeared. There was recognition in his eyes and he entered the compartment, closing the door behind him. He greeted both girls, clearing hesitating a bit with Susan's presence. However, after a reassuring gesture from Patricia he seemed to relax a little bit. He offered her a box of sugar mice, said he did not have much time, as he told his companions he had gone to the loo. He asked if Patricia was well and then in a rushed goodbye he left.
Susan witnessed the scene intrigued.
"Since when a sixth year boy offers you sweets?" she asked Patricia.
Her cheeks turned red, as she held the box around her arms.
"Caleb is Sophie's friend. He was just being nice to me."
"Too nice," Susan pointed out.
"Well, it's not like I am the only one receiving this type of attention from older boys."
Susan looked at Patricia a bit puzzled and asked her what she meant.
"You and that peculiar older boy, Titus Nott. He doesn't seem to speak to anyone but you."
"That's not true. He has his own friends. I just take care of his cat during summer, that's all."
As if knowing they were speaking about her, Saidra let go a meow. Susan caressed her fur. She had spotted Titus on the train on his way for the Prefects meeting. However, she was not able to talk to him, as he vanished among the crowd.
"Then why didn't he ask his friends to keep the cat? Why you?"
Susan shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to speak about it anymore. Patricia opened the sugar mice box and offered it to Susan. Both girls devoured the box, avoiding any more conversations about older boys.