All Aboard, Platform 9 3/4! Closed

Belle could hardly believe she was finally going to Hogwarts. It seemed like just yesterday that the letter came, and her life was flipped upside down. Luckily, her mum and dad had come with her all the way from Scotland, so she wasn't completely alone. Belle was grateful she didn't have to face this alone, at least for the first time.

Belle had managed to find her way to the Platform, thoroughly confused. She felt very out-of-place here, among real life wizards. Although Belle was extroverted, she was nervous to go on that train. Carrying her things to the train, she said goodbye to her mum and dad and boarded the train reluctantly.

Belle was looking for an empty compartment, so she could be alone and process this whole thing in peace. It wasn't every day you were going to a magic school. Finally, she found a compartment that had a girl sitting in it. Hers was the only one that wasn't jam-packed with students, so Belle assumed this was the best chance she had at making a friend here.

Belle opened the door and knocked. "Uh, hey, do you mind if I sit in here?" Usually Belle was great at conversation, but the thought that this girl might not want her to intrude made her nervous.

Ivy took note of the new girl right away her Scottish accent, standing out a bit, given that Ivy had only lived in the United Kingdom three years at most. "You are more than welcome to sit with me, friend" I say immediately, unsure of how to respond, but wanting to make sure the strange girl had felt welcome in her presence. Ivy had a little bit of a Northern accent, but she sounded mostly like an American.

"I'm Ivy Warren; Originally from the United States, but I have been living in Langesborough for the last few years. Your voice sounds very pretty, though. Mind if I ask where you are from?" I ask genuinely. "I've started to pick up on how people from the Northern parts of the United Kingdom sound a bit different than from the southern parts or Ireland, but the way your voice sounds is unlike anything I've heard thus far."

Ivy fidgets with the buttons of her peacoat, and looks out the window nervously a moment.

"I've never been on a train before... are they loud, like airplanes? Will my ears pop?" Ivy wonders aloud before returning her gaze to the girl, hoping she would have some experience in this area.

[WC: 206]
[TWC: 441]

Belle was thoroughly relieved the girl, Ivy, was okay with her staying. As she sat down, she nodded. "Yeah, I'm Scottish. And don't worry. Being on a train is like being in a car, if you get what I mean. I've never been on the Hogwarts Express, but I assume it's like a regular train. I'm Belle Hawthorne by the way."

Belle didn't like silence, so she decided she was just going to have to act like she wasn't nervous. Belle wondered briefly if Ivy was a Muggle-born like her. She didn't know anything about the wizarding world, so Belle had no idea if it would be considered rude to ask. She supposed there was no harm in asking, and if it really was an offense, well, Belle had an excuse ready.

"So, are you wizard-born? Or are you Muggle-born? My parents are both Muggles, so this whole thing is really confusing. At least for me." Belle stumbled over her words, hoping asking about blood-status wasn't rude.

After all, Belle was just genuinely curious. There was no harm in asking an innocent question, right? Belle hoped so. And if it was considered rude, Belle would know for later not to go around asking people if they were Muggle-born like her. If Ivy was Muggle-born too, she would just have to guess.

"Me? Oh, I.. um I'm not quite sure what that word means... but I am certainly not wizard-born." Ivy retorts in earnest. She had no idea who her father was... and grandma's strange artifacts made her wonder, however she spoke the truth when she said, "I know of no wizards in my family."

Ivy continued to fidget as the train finally pulled away from the station, yet the other compartments were buzzing with conversations, most of which equated out to television static with an occasional word popping out of the garble.

Ivy hears the trolley lady start coming around with sweets, but she had very little wizarding money, so she let the opportunity pass her by, though was curious if Belle would get anything.

"I haven't much money left after school supply shopping." Ivy explained regardless of whether Belle bought some sweets. "Only a few s... sickles? I think that's what its called. I only have a few sickles and a few k-nuts left" Ivy wasn't sure she was pronouncing knuts correctly, pronouncing the k in front of the word, as she had only ever seen it written before.

"I am super excited to learn about magic, though... I really miss home" Ivy started, trying to get a bit more in-depth in her conversation. "I've never been away from my parents or grandparents like this before. I suppose it's like a giant educational sleepover, but I'm still missing them greatly already." Ivy's vulnerability was now painstakingly evident. She hoped the other girl could empathize with her, but also hoped Belle wasn't experiencing as many negative emotions as she was.

"What subject are you most looking forward to, Belle?" Ivy adds, trying not to dwell on the negative and find something to get her mind off of things.

WC: 297
TWC: 738

Belle listens to Ivy intently, finding herself feeling the same. So they were both new to this, and both missing home.

“I get it. I’ve never been away from my family this long before.”

Belle also greatly sympathized with the whole money thing. Normally Belle was fine with spelling and pronunciation, but these words were like an entire different language. She wondered if they were Latin or Greek.

“I guess we’re in the same boat then. Both of us have no idea what’s going on.”

Belle didn’t know of any wizards in her family either, but she assumed her parents would have told her about it when her letter arrived. Her family had always seemed normal to her, but she would look anyways when she went home for Christmas.

“Classes? I haven’t really looked at the different classes yet to be honest.” Belle admitted.

Belle was just looking forward to learning magic in the first place. It wasn’t every day someone as normal as Belle was able to learn magic.

“So about these houses. What house do you think you’ll be in?”

Belle had no idea which one she wanted to be in, they all sounded great. Except maybe Slytherin. They sounded a little mean. From what she was able to pick up from conversation around her, Gryffindor seemed like the best house for her.

"Houses?" Ivy asked confused. "I haven't heard much about houses... I thought we were going to a castle..." she mentions trying to be helpful. "I haven't been paying too much attention to what others have been saying, as they haven't really bothered with me and I don't want to just barge into a conversation." Ivy states, thinking about how if she was talking to a friend, she wouldn't want a ton of people joining in out of the blue.

"And yes, I am excited for any magical learning... however if you look at your supplies list, you can get a good idea of what classes might be taught. For example, we probably will learn about magical creatures eventually, given we needed to purchase the required text 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' " Ivy continues. "Though I think if there is a History of Magic class, I'd like that very much. I'm curious as to where it all comes from."

As the quiet eventually seeps back into the compartment, Ivy digs through her small satchel, carrying a few of her items and a change of clothing... her black and grey wizards robes.

"Have you gotten your wand yet?" Ivy asks curiously, pulling her own out. "I've never heard of the kind of tree my wand wood is made of; Mayhaw." she says, fiddling gently with it in a way that she wouldn't break it, running her fingers over the handle and pommel of the wand.

WC: 246
TWC: 984

"Oh, well I think Hogwarts is a castle, which would be pretty awesome."

Of course, Belle didn't know for sure, but again, from what I heard, Hogwarts was a massive castle. She had always thought it would be cool to live in a castle, and a magic one would be better. It would be really cool if she could find a secret passageway one day.

"Yeah, I did get my wand, though I'm not sure what Ollivander meant. He said my wand was good for people with an unjustified sense of insecurity. What did he say about your wand?" Belle asked.

She had her wand in her pocket since she woke up. Belle was afraid her wand would break, especially around her brothers. They couldn't be trusted with such an important thing to her magic.

Now she felt she could take her wand out. Ivy also had hers out, so it wasn't against the rules or anything. She hoped it wasn't against the rules to have your wand out, because there were no Muggles around to see magic. And even if Belle did accidental magic, there were older students who could counter any spell she might accidentally cast.

"I think mine's chestnut. And I've never heard of mayhaw before. I wonder if it's from another country?" She said.

"Olivander seems to like to talk in riddles then. He told me that my wand was drawn to energetic wizards, but can be easily wooed over if its owner becomes lazy..." Ivy mentions. "I don't see myself as very energetic, however..." Ivy adds. "I feel more like a lapping lake than a tidal storm... I wonder if maybe it chose me for a different reason... certainly would be something worth investigating when we get to the school, eh?"

As we continued to talk, Ivy realized perhaps having her wand out might be considered a bit rude, or a bit show-offy, though Belle also had taken her wand out, providing at least a little comfort to Ivy, who was trying to navigate the complexities of wizard society already.

Perhaps Ivy was just prone to overthinking.

"Yours is chestnut?" Ivy asks curiously. "All I know about that type of tree is that its a fairly hard wood, used for decorative building... not much else."

"It is a quite pretty wand." Ivy adds looking at the details and coloration of the wand.

Ivy looked down at her own wand, her fingers trailing over the intricate handle and pommel, though Ivy supposed every wand was just as unique as the wizard it chose, there being thousands at Olivander's shop alone, all different. Though Ivy's was special, it was equally as special as everyone else's wand.

WC: 231
TWC: 1215

“Thank you. Yours is a really nice design. It’s interesting, y’know? How every wand is different.”

Belle held up her wand. The craftsmanship was excellent. It looked like something you’d see in a museum somewhere, because of its dark wood and carved handle. It seemed the two of us were both admiring our wands, or at least Belle was.

Belle looked out the window, distracted temporarily by the pretty scenery flying by them. It had always amazed her how beautiful the Scottish countryside was, even if she did grow up there.

“Where did you grow up? I’m Scottish, if it wasn’t obvious by my accent.” Belle knew the Scottish people had a very distinctive accent, but to her it seemed all the other accents sounded similar. Way too similar for her to be able to distinguish them.

Belle’s mum was able to tell her that most of the people at the Platform were British, since her mum was English herself, and did still carry a bit of her accent with her, even now, years later.

“I’m technically half-Scottish and half-British. My mum was born in London, and my dad was born in Scotland. I’m mostly Scottish though.”

Geez, I’m giving her my entire backstory. I’m such a talker. I hope she doesn’t mind me yapping.