Harry Potter: The Next Generation

[UnsightlyTEAstain]

It wasn't the end of the world if anything else it was the start of everything. At least for Carlyle it was but his father had been so clingy the past few days that it seemed like it might as well have been the last time they were ever going to see each other again. He couldn't blame him though since, in a sense, they weren't going to see each other but only for several months while he was away at Hogwarts. It wasn't just his father however as his little sister, Adelaide, has become rather interested in climbing onto his shoulders and asking to be carried everywhere they went. Carlyle didn't mind at all since he knew this was Ade's way of showing that she was going to miss him too. In fact he found it rather adorable.

"Train! Train! Train!," The young toddler chirped, bouncing up and down on her elder brother's shoulders. This was her first ever time to see a train station as it was for Carlyle. She looked around with big blue eyes at all the new sites and craned her neck to see all the muggles pouring in and out of the place. She was excited to be able to see so many new things but at the same time sad that her brother was leaving. He was going to come back and Adelaide was absolutely sure about this because she had made him promise her twice. And Carlyle had never broken a promise before. Though she still wondered why she wasn't allowed to come with him. She knew magic too so shouldn't she be able to go? Her thoughts were cut short however when the trio reached platform nine and three quarters. Or at least the entrance to it.

Carlyle looked at the solid slab of concrete with a twinkle of wonder in his eyes. This was certainly the perfect hidden entryway for a magical platform. He couldn't help thinking how his two best friends, Justice and L, would react to seeing this. A sad smile spread across his face at the thought of his snake because of the fact that he hadn't been allowed to bring him along. The only pets allowed at Hogwarts was a Cat, Owl, or Toad and unfortunately he owned none of these animals. His father has suggested that they buy him an owl but he refused since he imagined that L wouldn't take too kindly of being replaced by a bird. Not that anyone could replace the temperamental reptile.

"Alright Ade I think its time for your brother to-," Charles began when he was promptly interrupted by Adelaide's continuous shouts of "No's" as she clung to stubbornly to Carlyle's neck. He smiled at his daughter's obvious attachment to her older brother but the sadness in his eyes was unmistakable. If he was in Ade's position he wouldn't want to let his son go either. But this was what Julian would've wanted. He could still remember how her eyes sparkled when she talked about the school and all the fun memories she had there. She even went as far as to make Charles promise that Carlyle would attend the school no matter what would happen. At that time he had agreed with a laugh since what could possibly happen to keep his talented son from going.

That was year she had passed away. She had been sick. Very, very sick that the doctor had warned them of the risks of her giving birth. But being as stubborn as a rock, Julian insisted that she would be able to give birth to her baby naturally. No potions, surgeries, anything that could harm her child. Charles admired her bravery then and had come to respect her decision now. Though sometimes he couldn't help but feel lost without her. How was he, an ordinary human, suppose to take care of two wizards? He had help from Diane Everett and he felt constantly indebted to her and her family. But sometimes it still felt as though he was still lacking.

"Ade I'll only be gone for a little while," Carlyle assured his sister, craning his neck to see her pouting face,"And I'll be back with all sorts of magic tricks to show you"

Her frown lessened some but her grip on his collar shirt was still as tight as ever. Carlyle knew his sister and with her stubbornness it would take all day to convince her to let go willingly. So he thoughts perhaps if she were to see a bit of the Hogwarts Express and be able to wave goodbye then she would be less troubled.

"Dad wouldn't it be alright if you and Ade were to come with me to the platform?"

The look on his father's face was a mixture of relief, excitement, and nervousness. Charles was all for seeing the magical train station but at the same time nervous if he was even allowed to at all. Since he was just a muggle afterall. What if the barrier wouldn't let him through and he would end up banging his skull on solid concrete. The more that he looked at the wall the more the possibility seemed to dawn on him. But even possible injuries to the head wouldn't stop him from seeing his son off to his first day of school. Squaring his shoulders Charles gave Carlyle a determined nod.

"Of course, I'll be right behind you"

And with that he watched as his firstborn and only daughter ran full speed toward what appeared to be solid brick. He but all had a heart attack at the sight and resisted the urge to stop them then and there. His eyes threatened to close as they neared the solid construction but he forced them wide open. To his great to surprise the two seemed to pass right through the wall before disappearing altogether. His shock faded away to wonder as he chuckled at his own anxieties. Now it was just the matter of him getting through. Taking a deep gulp of air, Charles sprinted forward and this time closed his eyes as he was about to ram into the wall. He opened the moment later when felt as though he had passed some sort of smooth airy substance and not a moment too soon for he would have crashed right into Carlyle and Adelaide.

Relief washed over him at the knowledge that they were safe when he noticed the look of awe on each of their faces. He would have the same awe filled expression moments later when he also took in the sight before him. Everywhere he looked there were parents, adults, children, dressed in colorful robe like attire as all sorts of luggages lay stacked in piles by the tracks. And oh the train with its lustering red paint and authentic brass whistle. There was no doubt left in his mind that this is where Carlyle belonged and in a few years so would Ade. But instead of feeling sad he felt proud.

"Lyle, Lyle look its a red train!!," Adelaide exclaimed, arm outstretched and finger pointed towards the Hogwarts Express. Carlyle chuckled and set her sister down on her feet as she pulled him towards monorail.

"Stay safe you too! And Carlyle look after your sister!!," Charles called after them.

"Will do dad!," His son replied before being dragged further into the crowd.

 

[Kirah]

Samantha had fussed over her only child the whole morning. Having woke her earlier than what was clearly necessary. Breakfast had been served early. Everything had been done too early. Walter still wasn't present though. Mireille and her mother (Samantha) were just about to go to the car when Walter appeared out of his office. He took Mireille aside.

"I cannot go with you to the station, but I wanted to tell you good luck at school. You'll be wonderful. You'll do this family proud." Mireille knew the last part was what her Father really cared about. She nodded and without a hug, because her family didn't hug, Mireille went out to the car. She glanced one last time at the mansion she had called home her whole life. Now she was going somewhere else. Somewhere new. That gave Mireille so much joy.

The car ride was done in silence. The car was driven by an old family friend. He was muggle-born, and had his muggle license, but he also had a lot of training fighting dark wizards. He was one Mireille's favorite people, she considered him a brother. Samantha fussed with Mireille's hair or her fixed her sleeve, she was more nervous than her daughter.

Finally, after what must have been ages, they pulled into King's cross. Samantha led Mireille to platform 9 and 3/4 with their driver pushing the trolly with Mireille's stuff on it . Samantha holding Mireille's hand leads her through the gate quickly, the driver right behind them. On the other side the driver takes the trolly to check Mireille's trunk.

Samantha tucked a stray piece of Mireille's hair behind her ear. "You make some friends. Study hard. I've faith in you, you'll be a brilliant witch." Samantha didn't pull her daughter into a hug, but anyone watching would think it appropriate right then.

"Thank you mother." Mireille gave her mother a smile and then climbed onto the train. "I'll do my best." With a small wave she hunted down a seat on the train. She figured she'd try to make friends but as she stood there amongst the throng of students pushing this way or that Mireille leaned against a wall and wished for anything but to be on that train. She spotted a place for her to slip by eventually and she did right into a cabin.

Mireille took a deep breath and sat down. The hard part was over, right?

 

[EchoRun]

"Wow, Matthew, look!" Naomi exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet and pointing at King's Cross Station. It was almost as if she'd never seen the place before. She had, when their family would take her brother. But this time it was different. They were taking her now.

"What?" Her brother asked, coming up behind her carrying her trunk. Technically, he didn't have to be here, but he felt that since Naomi had to come every time he went, it'd only be fair if he saw her off, at least her first year. That, and she'd begged him to every chance she had.

"It's the station!" She replied excitedly.

"I see that!" He replied in a fake excited tone.

"Naomi!" Their dad called out from behind them. Their mom walked next to him. "You forgot something." He carried a cage with a grey cat inside.

"Oh, Calix!" She says, running back to the pair and taking the cage, insistent that, yes, she could carry it all by herself. With both hands. While also trying to prevent it from snagging on her cream-ish coloured sweater.

The family went inside and loaded her trunk and cat onto a cart, then set off for the Platform 9 3/4. Naomi skipped ahead, turning around to make sure her family was still close behind. They reached the area between Platforms 9 and 10 after what seemed like forever to the child.

"Matt?" She asked, walking over to her brother who was pushing the cart. "Matt, can we do that thing?"

"You know I shouldn't." He responded.

"But Calix hasn't done this before, and I don't want him to go alone. And I can't run with him though the barrier."

Matthew sighed and looked back to his parents. They give a nod letting him know he could and probably should. Lowering his head, he nodded to Naomi, who gleefully squealed and climbed onto the trunk on the cart. She took the cage holding her cat and held it tight.

"Alright, ready?" He asked. Naomi nodded. "Here we go." He took off for the seemingly solid wall between the two platforms, not even hesitating before ramming into it and entering the well hidden Platform 9 3/4. Their parents joined them shortly after.

"Okay," Her mom said. "Are you ready for this Naomi?"

"Of course." She replied with a tone of indignation. She'd been ready for this for, like, forever.

"Do you remember what-"
"Yes, Mum. I am eleven years old now, there's no need to talk to me like a little kid." She jumped off the trunk that was still on the cart, still holding the cage. She made a small mental note that she liked the sound of her boots hitting the ground.

Matthew pushed the cart to the train while Naomi followed with her parents.

"Just take care of yourself." Her mom continued to nag as they approached the glistening red train.

"I will don't worry."

 

[Mr.Scales ⚖]

It was the start of a new beginning for Justice. He could now leave the bad, and some of the good away. But to be honest, some parts he didn't wanna let go. Even though he fought with his siblings everyday, he did love them, very, very, very deep inside. The boy wore his black hoodie, the hood covering his face. The boy's bandanna tied to his neck, he looked up at the King Cross sign, giving a small smile immediately discouraging it. The boy only showed his smile when he truly has to smile, which he hasn't since he was little.

He looked behind him at his family, thankfully not all ten of them came just His mother, his rude brother Gordon and his favorite sibling Jocelyn. When his father had died, his sister had comfort him and made him feel better, they had the strongest bond besides his mother. He held two suitcases and a black backpack on his back. He looked back at his family going slower pace then he was. The boy was really excited and couldn't wait to stay at Hogwarts.

"Come on, were gonna miss it"

The boy rushed to get to the train, he pushed through people and started running faster that had his family going at a way faster pace. As the boy reached the station, he stopped in awe when he saw the hall. He hadn't been here before and he just loved seeing new places.

"I must say, i'm kinda jealous that only you and Chad are wizards, find it kind of cool"

His sister hugged as she gave him a hug, his brother standing with his mother with his arms cross. Justice hugged back then released, his mother then walked up and hugged him. His mother began crying, she was sad to see him go for a while like Chadwick had, he rubbed her back trying to comfort his mother.

"I'll miss you to mama, but don't worry it will only be a few months, i'll definitely try to mail you, if anyone will let me use their owl or something"

"You always know how to cheer me up, oh i almost forgot"

His mother ran out of the station, he didn't know where he went to go but it might be something good. The train hadn't arrived yet so she still had time to go get what she needed. He looked over to his right seeing his bestfriend Carlyle, he waved to the boy knowing that he would see him on the train. It was exciting that the two would both go to Hogwarts. His brother then came up to say his goodbyes.

"Well this is goodbye for the whole school year, this will be the best year of my life...But i'll miss ya man, but don't get into trouble or i'll rough you up when you get back"

His brother punched him in the shoulder, which caused him to rub the spot. The boy was quite happy to see that he cared for him, and better yet miss him. When the boy brought up that he shouldn't get into trouble, which almost made him chuckle because he knew his brother already knew the truth to what will happen. Then his mother came running back with her hands behind her back.

"Now i want you to have this, this was your fathers, he wore these at Hogwarts"

His father had died two years ago, he was murdered by somebody but nobody knew who it was. His mother hand him two black gloves with his last name Everett on it. The boy's eyes saddened, he hated that his father wouldn't see him going to Hogwarts. Justice grabbed the gloves and looked at them, there wasn't much of his fathers stuff left and his father had told him that he had wore them everyday at Hogwarts, but now he may continue the legacy. The boy went up and gave her a huge hug, which surprised her but she was really happy. She then noticed the train finally coming.

"Alright i want you to be good and especially have fun, i'll miss you darling"

The mother hugged him then let go, they waved goodbye and he began walking to the train. Justice pushed his fathers gloves in his trench coat, looking over at the train, he grabbed his bags and began walking to the train. He kept getting pushed around by the older people walking past him, as the boy made his way through the big crowd, trying to get to the train through the men and women. When he finally made his way to the front, he pushed by to get inside.

 

[UnsightlyTEAstain]

"Ade slow down I'm gonna trip," Carlyle laughed as he was dragged around by his little sister. Looks like he had been correct about letting her explore the platform before he had to leave. She seemed to have a chirpier state of mind then she did before which should help some when they had to say goodbye. One day though they would be switching places. By the time Adelaide would be old enough to attend Hogwarts Carlyle would have most likely graduated. Then it would be his turn to watch her grow old, mature, and to say goodbye. For now he would take their mother's place and keep his family feeling whole. And though he was looking forward to his first day of school he wished that he could be back home to take care of his father and little sister. He shook the thought from his head as he reasoned that they were both capable of living without him for a couple of years. Plus he would definitely visit on the holidays. He wondered if Adelaide would take his place as the prankster of the house.

Carlyle's musings were interrupted as he saw Justice in the distant crowds waving to him. He returned the gesture with his own and a happy smile. Another thing he was looking forward too was the extra time he would get to spend with his friend and all the possible ingenious pranks that guy would come up with. His lips twitched at the thought when he felt a tug on his pants. He looked down at Adelaide and raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"I want to go inside," She stated with a firm whine that only little kids were capable of. There wasn't any harm to it so Carlyle nodded his consent and was promptly pulled inside the nearest entrance. Eventually the crowds began to thicken enough that he had to carry Ade so that she wouldn't be stomped on by any seventh years. They slowly made their way to the front of the room where he had seen Justice disappear into. Carlyle peeked into the windows of every compartment he passed until Ade suddenly began bouncing on his arm.

"Lyle look its Jusssstice!"

A small chuckle escaped her older brother's lips as once again remembered the reason for her strange pronunciation of his friends name. It had been all L's fault really as he pronounced every "S" with a prolonged hiss. So when Ade had asked Carlyle what Justice's name was he had said it slightly in parseltongue which resulted , even to this day, her snake-like pronunciation of the name.

They were about ten paces away from the little compartment when Carlyle had gotten a genius idea.

"Ade do you want to see a magic trick?," He asked with a hint of mischief in his eyes. Of course she jumped at the idea and nodded her head fervently.

"Okay watch this"

He set her down on the ground and slipped into an empty compartment so that he wasn't in anyones peripheral view. There he began to sift and transform, his black hair lightened into a dark shade of brown and his height decreased several inches until a girl stood where he had once had. The only thing recognizable was his uncanny red eyes. It had been years since he had last taken this form and that time it had only been an accident. It had actually been the time that Justice had found out that he was a Metamorphmagi. Something that the latter took surprisingly well. Carlyle also knew how uncomfortable his friend could get around strangers and especially if they were a girl.

After a few minutes of fixing her clothes so it didn't seem as though they were falling of her small frame she stepped back out onto the hallway. Adelaide all but burst into excited giggles as she looked at her now older sister.

"Big brother looks so pretty!," She squealed making the latter burst into laughter. Carlyle never thought he would be called 'pretty' before. Well first time for everything.

"Alright we're going to play a little prank on Jusssssstice for a bit," She whispered, leaning down to Ade's height,"And all you have to do is to not let him see you"

Her sister nodded in understanding and looked up at her with a determined smile. Carlyle ruffled her hair before rising to her feet once again and made her way to Justice's compartment. With bangs covering her eyes, she opened the sliding door and slipped inside before closing it again. But leaving enough room for Adelaide to peek in at the scene. She then proceeded to take a silent seat next to him. She was careful to keep her eyes hidden the whole time. Though she did have the option to change them the challenge of hiding them seemed more appealing. Now it was just time to see how her friend would react.

 

[The Music Man]

NICK! Wake up! Horace is yelling inside my head, which I still can't understand how he is from the same place as Dementors, and yet he's such a good friend. "NICK!" My mom calls down. It is weird how good of timing Horace and her have... I slip out of bed and crawl downstairs to get some coffee. People say I shouldn't be drinking it, but honestly, I don't know if they know what it is like being up until four in the morning studying for a school that only a few know exist. As I am sitting down with my second cup, my Darkness Hound, Horace, pops out of my slim shadow and goes out to find himself something to eat. "Are you even packed for your trip son?" My father says as he comes down the stairs. "Yes dad, I have been packed for several months, everything I need is in my shadow, so I haven't been able to use more than basic magic. In our household, basic magic consists of Wingardium Leviosa and Reparo, so I can't do much. "We have," I look over at our clockwork clock, since we don't have any electronic device in the house, we don't have electrical lighting,"No time before we have to leave." With that, I rush upstairs, and into the shower, halfway through losing light because the steam put the torch out. In ten minutes, Horace and I are in the only room we ever had been in, on our way to leave. "So Horace, do you want to be with me or with the other pets on the train?" I do not care, as long as I am still able to reach your thoughts. Okay, then with me it is. With that, he steps onto my shadow and seems to fall in, it's such a spectacle to see my enchantment in effect.

Ten minutes after that, I am walking into the train station, wearing my cloak covering my face. Making sure no one is around, I turn and say, "I'm going to miss you guys, and I know that I'll see you at the next break where I can come home." My mom, as usual, wants to dive into my shadow to check that I have everything, which she had done before I left the house. "Son, I have something for you, so give me your wand." I listen to what he says. From his jacket, he pulls out a box with a card on it. "You are not allowed to open this box until you get settled in, or you desperately need a wand." With that, I nod, drop it with my other things, I'm now carrying so much, I couldn't do the most basic of spell. I turn, and I run head first into the mortal barrier between the muggle platform, and platform 9 3/4. Going toward the train, several people glance at the wall, expecting a trunk to come through, but it never does. I don't ever really need a cart, because the stronger I get magically, the more I can hold. Hey Horace, how much stuff do I have in there besides you? I ask him, You have your trunk, a few small bags, the present, and a necklace. What is the necklace for? This is a good question. Going near a wall, I reach into my shadow and pull it out. It is a locket that looked familiar, opening it, I see that it has a picture of my parents several years ago. They looked about the age I got my enchantment, so it must have been right around then. Sighing, I put the locket back and step on the train. When I get on, I go to the first cabin I can find, and noticing a redhead sitting down (@Kira) I ask, "Mind if I join you?"

 

[Mglo]

Etienne thought of the day he received the Hogwarts letter as he waited for his aunt Merida.

[bg=#404040]
"Etienne," Theodor Stark had spoken. His deep baritone commanding the room, "why should we let you go?"
For the first time Etienne had looked up straight into his grandfather's eyes. He had opened his mouth to speak but nothing had come out. He hadn't spoken in front of his family for a long time, excluding his father.
Come on Etienne, why should your life change? he had asked himself. "Because I want to be better," his voice had come out a deep baritone and he panicked. Sounding like his grandfather seemed like an insult towards him at the time, "I've disgraced the Stark name too much and too long to not do anything about it. To change it..." he had stammered.[/bg][bg=#404040][/bg]

And here he was. On his way to Hogwarts. He still couldn't believe it. His aunt Merida couldn't believe it either and to her bad luck she was ordered to deliver him to the train. His grandfather couldn't be caught dead next to Etienne. His father would be showing no shame or remorse if he was bringing him there. That left aunt Merida.

"Alright. Let's get this over with you dimwit giant. Pay attention! I don't want you embarrassing me more than you already are just by standing next to me," she said as she reached him. They had just arrived at King's Cross station dressed in muggle clothes which weren't very different from what Etienne wore most of the time anyway. Simple baggy stuff he quickly grew into.

They walked in at a brisk pace, his aunt clearly walking a bit ahead pretending Etienne wasn't with her. Etienne on the other hand pulled his trunk not too close behind her feeling relieved by the busy station. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, which meant they didn't have time to be looking at him. If they knew he was 11 that would change, but in the masses he could be invisible. It felt nice.

They reached the spot through which Merida quickly disappeared into.

Etienne, startled, froze for a minute before he told himself, "running into a wall is not the worst thing that could or has happened to you." With those words of encouragement he ran in and entered Platform 9 and 3/4s.

"Finally!" came the exasperated Merida, "there's the train. Even a halfwit like you can figure the rest out," she said just as she walked away.

Etienne took a deep breath and pushed his trunk to the loading area all the while trying not to look at people's faces. It hadn't occurred to him, that he could still pass for an older Hogwarts student which still made him just another one of the masses.

 

[Kirah]

When I get on, I go to the first cabin I can find, and noticing a redhead sitting down (@Kira) I ask, "Mind if I join you?"

Mireille looks up from her folded hands to the boy who had spoken. "Oh I don't mind." She gives a nervous smile as the boy enters.

"I'm Mireille Standiford." Mireille stands and hold out her hand for the new boy to shake it. Mireille slyly studies the boy, noting how he holds himself 'fighter...eastern style? But not confident in himself.' "It's a pleasure to meet you." She wasn't sure if that was true or not but it was considered polite according to her mother who always insisted she say it when meeting someone new.

 

[The Music Man]

((SORRY IF YOU WANTED ME TO WAIT FOR A COUPLE MORE POSTS))
"My name is Nickolas, but everyone calls me Nick. It is a pleasure to meet you, and how are you?" I felt like I could trust her, but all my training told me to still be wary. I decided I would see about befriending her. Maybe I could trust someone now, now that I have a different future, Don't worry, you'll do just fine here, and remember, you can always slip you textbook and notes into class without anyone noticing. This made me giggle a bit, which even to me, sounded out of place.

 

[OddShot]

Scratches run along a long wooden table top, catching a young girl's attention. She traces her fingers over lines, creating patterns. Four minutes have passed since Ashlyn's mother confiscated her glass of exploding lemonade; appalled anyone would serve one to children. The girl pouts, annoyed that four of her sickles went to waste. Dark blue eyes creep up, watching a man and woman converse. It's not common her parents communicate with each other. They seem to be having a frustrating conversation. Sliding off her isolated seat she claimed after being scolded, the girl shuffles to her parents' table and leans between them.

"We could have stayed in Diagon Alley. Wouldn't that have been much more fun?" Her complaint is long and drawn out.

"Interrupting conversations again, dear? That should be interesting at Hogwarts," a male tenor laughs.

"Cyril, don't encourage her! Ashlyn, we decided to stop at the Leaky Cauldron early for a bite," her mother chides while eyeing a clock, "ah, it's about time we head for the station anyway."

Dark blue eyes race to the wall fixture with excitement. Delight spreads across the child's face, and she slings a bag full of school supplies over her head.

"Let's go, let's go!" She reaches for a can kennel on the ground before turning toward the door. "We're going to Hogwarts Fizzy!"

"Wait a moment," her mother sighs.

Her parents pay their bills separately, and argue over who will cover the girl. Ashlyn rolls her eyes, thinking it would be better if she used her allowance in this instance. Fizzy, her cat seems to meow in agreeance. After everything is taken care of at the muggy inn, they head for the door. Suddenly, her father stops walking and lays his hand on the door handle. He looks down and meets his ex-wife's eyes before inspecting his daughter. His mouth sags into a frown.

"Muggle streets are different, you know?"

She puffs her cheeks out, "I know, no magic talk! Oh, and cars, there will be cars!"

The man nods his head before swing the door open for everyone. Ashlyn rushes out then freezes in place. Stone buildings stand beside each other; some are close enough for her to wonder if they share walls. There isn't much of a difference, she thinks while looking down the street. Perhaps all English streets look the same, regardless of magic; she decides it must be a regional thing. Cars are fast though, and speed right past the sidewalk. Didn't her father say they were taking a tax king? Takey? Tasi? Oh, Taxi, that's the word! A grin spreads across her face.

"How do we stop taxis? Cars move too fast!"

Brown eyes, belonging to her mother fixate on the man beside them, expecting an answer as well.

"Why, you call them! Didn't you study this part of England, Linette?"

"When I was twelve," the woman grumbles while placing a hand on her hip. Muggle Studies wasn't a class she got high mark in.

Ashlyn looks toward her father, expecting him to approach a phone booth, like the ones in stories. Instead, he starts whistling a merry tune. Noticing his daughter's glare, he raises his eyebrows, "What's wrong?"

"You need a phone to call people, dad. It'll be terrible if I don't make it to the station in time."

"Oh, I called a taxi while we were at the Leaky Cauldron. All we have to do is wait for it to arrive," he smiles.

Linette nods her head in approval for once and laughs at her daughter's expression. The girl's lips form an "o." Both women seem surprised. A few minutes pass before the taxi arrives, giving Ashlyn plenty of time to observe Muggle attire and behavior. They load her supplies in the trunk, minus the cat of course, and slide inside. Once the driver starts up the vehicle, the young witch leans over, and whispers in her father's ear.

"No one was wearing robes. Isn't that weird?"

Her mother fake coughs into her hand before murmuring, "That can also go into the list of things to not say while here."

Ashlyn looks at her, confused. Don't muggles have robes too? She sighs and sinks into her seat while observing the car's interior. It's dark, very dark. The outside world rushes by as they creep closer to the station with every second. Muggles don't seem much different from her kin. Though, a few people have been sticking these strange things in their ears. They're connected to portable phones. Maybe they do something. If not, she worries about their mental health. It's not loud enough outside to need ear plugs. After several long minutes, they arrive at the station, and the taxi driver helps her unload. As it turns out, the man is a squib. She theorizes her father knew. Which is good, a magical book fell out of her luggage while unloading. After saying their goodbyes to the man, they run through Platform 9 ¾ together. The scarlet train is seated on its tracks, already loading students.

"Can I have a hug before you go?" Her mother looks ready to tear up. The woman kneels down.

"Love you," Ashlyn whispers while embracing her mother.

"You're with me during the winter holidays, darling, so you must tell me all about school." The woman stands up and pats her daughter's cheek.

Cyril sighs before approaching the pair. "Send me-ah, us plenty of letters. Have fun, and cause some mischief. Merlin knows that place can get stuffy."

He reaches into his coat pocket, and grabs a pouch. "Here, have a few extra sickles for the train ride. Get some jelly slugs."

She takes the purple bag from him, and frowns, this is the last time they'll see each other for a few months. "I love you daddy, we can visit Honeydukes this summer. I can save up. We'll get butterfly wings and some bloody lollipops."

The duo laughs while Ashlyn's mother scrunches her nose at the mention of Honeyduke's bloody candies. Deathly silence fills the space between the three of them. Pale fingers wrap around satchel straps. They already checked her supply bag, and nothing was missing. This is it. Ashlyn heads for the train and looks back one more time to wave goodbye before boarding. While observing the different compartments, trying to decide on a seat, she notices a little girl peeking inside one with a suspicious grin. She doesn't look old enough to ride the Hogwarts Express. This looks fun. Is she someone's sister or a new staff member's daughter? The young witch tilts her head to the side, before creeping up behind the younger girl with a sly smile.

"What are you spying on? Is it exciting?"

 

[EchoRun]

Once they found a place for the trunk among the rest of the trunks in the loading area, Naomi returned to her parents to talk and say bye. "Are you sure you can't stay to see me off?" She asked after their goodbyes were said. For all her talk of being able to take care of herself, she was still hoping they would stay. This was the first time she'd ever been away from home for so long, after all.

Her dad kneeled in front of her and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry, but we can't. Matt will, though." He finished, letting her go and standing back up.

Naomi sighed out of disappointment. While she had known they could take her to the station but couldn't stay and see her off for a while, it didn't hurt to hope. Noting the disappointed expression on her youngest child's face, Naomi's mom asked. "Where's Calix?"

"Oh, um...." Naomi looked around, then back at Matt. "Do you-"

"No clue. You might have left him with the trunks." Her brother told her. "You might want to go look before you have to leave. I'll be right behind you."

"Alright," Naomi was hesitant to leave, though. "Bye mum. Bye dad." She said, giving both parents a hug before heading back to where they put her trunk. She noticed a tall boy (@Mglo) near the loading area and decided to ask him. "Um... Sorry, but have you seen a grey cat with white paws around here. He should be in a cage."

 

[Mglo]

@EchoRun

Etienne's trunk had been loaded, but he hesitated to step into the train. He had noticed that all the shorter kids were walking into the same area of the train. He was trying to build up a bit of courage to just get it overwith when he heard a little high-pitched voice next to him. He turned and looked down, eyes a bit wide as he realized the voice was directed at him.

"Oh... uh," he stumbled, "sorry! I... wasn't really paying attention." He blushed a little listening to the contrast of their voices. She was his age, yes she was a girl, but still... no eleven year old boy had a deep voice yet. Of course, Etienne wouldn't have known about that but his aunt Merida had always made sure he knew how unnatural he was.

Thinking about aunt Merida made him remember his aim. At least a little bit. So, his stubborn side kicked in and he told himself: you're unnatural Etienne. That's never going to change, deal with it.

He took a deep breath and said, "I'll take a look," and stepped onto the train's side lifting himself up higher. He looked ahead, avoiding faces and focusing only on searching for a cat, and finally glimpsed at something that might be what the girl was looking for. He climbed down and pointed in the direction while saying, "I saw something two cars down that might be what you're looking for but I'm not sure."

 

[Mglo]

Cillian stepped out of the elegant old school French Bugatti car. His clothes were simple but obviously expensive. He wore black jeans, grey t-shirt, and a very stylish blazer with black sleeves and chest pocket, and a rich blue body. His hair was a wavy mass of black that almost unevenly touched his shoulders. His grey eyes matched his shirt.
His father, in a finely tailored suit, lightly placed his hand on Cillian's back indicating it was time. Their servant had finished unloading the luggage and followed close behind them as they entered King's Cross station.

They stood out. After all, people dressed like them didn't usually take the train. They could easily afford various other better ways of transportation. The elegant duo was silent. They hadn't said a word all morning. In fact, Cillian hadn't spoken at all since the goodbye.
As they arrived at the entrance to Platform 9 ¾ they saw a family of three run in together. A mother, a father, and their daughter. Cillian's pale hand silently reached out and grasped his father's hand. William Holt, in turn pursed his lips holding back an emotional reaction. There was so much going on in the family and nobody was talking about it. Therefore, nobody knew what the others were thinking or feeling.

Hand in hand they passed through and their servant pushing the loaded cart followed. William, still holding his son's hand, finally spoke, "I had them buy the owl so that you can write often. It still doesn't have a name..." his voice was rigid and unfeeling.

"Goodbye Father," said the eleven year old as he let go of his father's hand and walked towards the red steaming train. As he stepped onto it he turned and said, "thank you for the owl," and went in. His father, subtly smiled. To an outsider the interaction between them might have seemed cold and distant, however, it had been remarkably satisfying for both of them. It had been more intimate and communicative than they had had in years.
Satisfied, Cillian's father walked away relieved. They were not the type to wave across a window as the train departed. They had already said goodbye.

Cillian walked through the train avoiding others as he went. What his father had said meant a lot to him. He could write to her. Not only that, he had his father's implicit permission to. Which was more than he had dared hope for.

He soon found an empty train compartment and took a seat.

 

[Kirah]

"My name is Nickolas, but everyone calls me Nick. It is a pleasure to meet you, and how are you?" This made me giggle a bit, which even to me, sounded out of place.

Mireille was a little confused by the boy's giggle. Insecurities started picking at her mind. "Nick." She repeated the name to remember it. "I'm doing well. Nervous though." She tried to smile but it came out looking more like a grimace.

She took her seat again. "How about yourself? How are you?" There weren't really words for how she really felt, but the few she had chosen would suffice. She wondered what house this boy would end up in. Everyone knew she'd be in Slytherin or Ravenclaw. Mireille secretly hoped for Ravenclaw, to step out of her Father's shadow.

 

[EchoRun]

"Oh, okay." She says, leaning back to glance two cars down. "This is the second time today. I don't normally forget things." Well, okay, that may or may not have been entirely true. She just never really forgot Calix before. "Uh... Thank you." And with that she turned and started to head to the second car down. Sure enough, Calix was there.

"Oh, good," She sighed, picking up the cage again. She needed to focus more on not forgetting him again. Matt had caught up to her at this point. "Great, you found him." He seemed to restrain himself from saying something else, a smirk quickly making an appearance before disappear again. "You should probably find a cabin." He told her.

"Oh..." She really didn't want to leave him. But he'd left her every year for the past seven years. She set down the carrier and gave him a hug. They had done this every year, but this time the roles were reversed. "I'll miss you. And I'll make sure to write you and mum and dad." She whispered to him, then let him go and picked up the cage. They said their byes and she stepped up onto the train and began to search for a cabin. Preferably one she could wave to Matt from when the train left.

 

[Mr.Scales ⚖]

Justice sat down in the seat on the train, he put his back pack and suitcases under the seat. He then took his fathers gloves out of his trench coat, he stared at the gloves knowing that he would have to live up to his name, which had him kind of freaked out. The boy pulled his hood over his head from under the trench coat, he laid his head back on the seat looking at the roof of the train cart. He pushed his hands in his pockets and closed his eyes inhaling and exhaling. He waited for his friend Carlyle to sit next to him.

He then heard a plunk next to him, he didn't know who it was so he took off his hood. He noticed that a girl had sat down next to him, which got him mad because he had been saving that spot for Carlyle. But the boy was too shy to say something, which had him even more pissed off. There wasn't any other spots left in the train cart, but two other seats across from him but was quickly taken by two males. He began mumbling and playing with his thumbs when he had enough.

"Can you please move i was saving the seat for a friend"

 

[UnsightlyTEAstain]

"...friend?," Carlyle mummered before tilting her head back, revealing gleaming playful red eyes. "I hadn't a clue that you held me in such high regards as to push a girl from your side," She continued in a lively joking tone. Though she still did make a little reminder to herself that perhaps when they arrived at the school some female companions might do her friend some good. Having already revealed her identity Carlyle called for Adelaide to enter and proceeded to shift back into her male form.

Just after the little toddler came skipping into the compartment and promptly plopped herself onto her brother's lap, he had completely reverted back to his previous appearance. Feigning weariness, he pulled his sister in for a backwards hug and limply rested his head on the tops of her fluffy brown hair. Other than being cute and adorable Ade made for a good pillow. And as per usual he began to twist and play with the long strands. Being already used to her brother's strange habits Adelaide sat surprisingly still with patience that was shocking for her age.

"Got a hogwarts house in mind?," Carlyle yawned through a smile. He might've not been weary but tired was a more accurate description. It seemed that the excitement and thoughts of the following day had all but rendered him as an insomniac. Barely four hours of sleep was all that he had managed to salvage and half of that time was spent on the car ride to King's Cross.

 

[Mr.Scales ⚖]

Justice wasn't impressed when the girl revealed herself to be Carlyle, he looked at him with daggers. The boy really pissed off that the boy played that kind of trick on him, but he must say it was a good joke. The boy rolled his eyes still mad at the boy. He then watched as Carlyle switched back into a boy, he knew about the trick and he knew he should of saw it coming.

"Hilarious, at least i don't flirt with every girl i come across to"

He then pushed his hands in his coats pockets, he looked at the boy who brought his sister in the train car, which he found irresponsible because it could drive at any second then it would be his problem which he would be dragged into like he always does. He noticed that everyone had gotten inside the car which got him worried, he then heard the boy ask about which house he thinks he'll be in, which had him thinking/

"Well i'm hoping Griffindor since all my family has only been in that house"

There wasn't any doubt that he wouldn't be in Griffindor since he feels he's brave enough and strong enough, also his whole family who had went to Hogwarts have been in the house of Griffindor. His father was a champion at Quidditch, his brother coming in third which had him worried, he hated that he had to look up to his name. He then looked back at Carlyle wondering which house he wanted to be in.

"So what about you Chameleon which house do you wanna be in?"

 

[The Music Man]

"Personally I am tired, but I can always tuck into my shadow if I think i'd need sleep." I wasn't aware that what my father had done could get him sent to Azkaban (did i spell it correctly?) You must be careful what you say, not everyone knows that you have that gift. "So what house are you hoping for? I am wishing for Ravenclaw myself."

 

[Kirah]

@Demonic

Mireille was utterly confused by Nick saying he could nap in his shadow. "Uh Ravenclaw as well." She tilted her head and then asked, "What do you mean you can tuck into your shadow?" Nervousness gone, replaced by curiosity.

Mireille, though she read some law books didn't find them as interesting as other stuff, had no clue that the shadow thing was illegal. In fact her knowledge of wizard law was primarily focused on magical creatures and muggles. This was way outside her knowledge scope.

The magic aspect though had her attention. Mireille wasn't inherently evil, but her curiosity could lead her down dark paths that may be impossible to return from.

((dawning realization for me))