A Compartment with a View
Dialogue: Steel Blue
There was hesitation as he stood there with one foot on the train, he's never been good with change, and now that it was happening all at once, he wasn’t sure what to do with the rush of emotions he was feeling. Edward looked back at his parents and saw the proud smiles on their faces, and knew it would just crush them if he backed out now when he was so close.
Edward took a deep breath, and mustered up the courage to step fully onto the train, he wasn't about to let his nervousness stop him from becoming a proper wizard, he'd been dreaming of this for years. He waved back at his parents and began making his way through the carriage, keeping his trunk close to himself as nudged past the other students who crowded the corridor, waving out to their parents, and other relatives.
He looked through the windows of the compartments he passed, looking for one that was empty. Nothing felt worse than having to sit with people he didn’t know, and even the thought of asking if he could join someone made him feel weird.
Eventually, he found one that was empty. He glanced at the sign above the door and whispered to himself "Compartment 24" and then slid the door open and planted his trunk on the seat and settled himself by the window, facing the front of the train.
Finally, it was quiet, the compartment door giving him some protection from the noise outside. He pulled the hood of his black hoodie over his head and closed his eyes, a small smile forming as he thought about the long journey ahead and felt the train begin to move.Word count: 348
Last edited by Edward Hawks on 20 Dec 2025, 23:57, edited 3 times in total.
stamina ◦ 5 | evasion ◦ 7 | strength ◦ 4 | wisdom ◦ 8 | arcane ◦ 7 | accuracy ◦ 4
"Live life to the fullest."
A Compartment with a View
Rosalyn stepped aboard the train, already nervous about the train ride. She hadn't known the Wizarding World even existed until a few days prior, and she was quite a bit behind. Regardless, she mustered up her courage and stepped aboard.
She had just had a great time with some people she had met, hopefully future friends, but they all parted ways, and she was hopeful to find someone else, or at least just a place to sit.
She walked through the train, which was already quite full, each compartment containing many students. She felt the train begin to move, and decided she should probably find a seat before her clumsiness won and she took a tumble. That would not be a great way to start off her day.
She continued walking through the train, only seeing full compartments. At last, she reached one, near the back of the train, that was nearly empty. Compartment twenty-four. All it had was one person, and she felt bad intruding, but she had to sit somewhere. He had his hood over his face, so she assumed that he was sleeping, or at least trying to.
"Hi, sorry, I'm just gonna sit here, don't mind me." she said quietly, at a volume where if he were asleep it would not wake him up, but if he were awake then he would hear, and at least know that nobody was breaking in.
She sat down in the seat diagonal to the boy, putting her bag down next to her and pulling out a book. She planned to just sit there and read, hopefully not waking him up if he truly were asleep.
Accidentally, she dropped her book, but managed to catch it before it hit the floor, at least stopping most of the noise that it would have made.
"Sorry about that." she whispered, sitting back down and opening it up again, beginning to read.
She had just had a great time with some people she had met, hopefully future friends, but they all parted ways, and she was hopeful to find someone else, or at least just a place to sit.
She walked through the train, which was already quite full, each compartment containing many students. She felt the train begin to move, and decided she should probably find a seat before her clumsiness won and she took a tumble. That would not be a great way to start off her day.
She continued walking through the train, only seeing full compartments. At last, she reached one, near the back of the train, that was nearly empty. Compartment twenty-four. All it had was one person, and she felt bad intruding, but she had to sit somewhere. He had his hood over his face, so she assumed that he was sleeping, or at least trying to.
"Hi, sorry, I'm just gonna sit here, don't mind me." she said quietly, at a volume where if he were asleep it would not wake him up, but if he were awake then he would hear, and at least know that nobody was breaking in.
She sat down in the seat diagonal to the boy, putting her bag down next to her and pulling out a book. She planned to just sit there and read, hopefully not waking him up if he truly were asleep.
Accidentally, she dropped her book, but managed to catch it before it hit the floor, at least stopping most of the noise that it would have made.
"Sorry about that." she whispered, sitting back down and opening it up again, beginning to read.
A Compartment with a View
Dialogue: Steel Blue
Edward hadn't managed to fall asleep, though he'd hoped closing his eyes would help settle the buzzing in his head. He heard the compartment door slide open, light footsteps, and a voice so quiet that he wasn't at first if he imagined it.
Someone was sitting with him.
Of course they were. The train was packed with both new and returning students, it was bound to happen eventually. He let out a small breath and soon opened his eyes, adjusting his hood ever so slightly, and while it still blocked his view a little, he could see a girl sitting across from him, a book already in her hands. She looked... normal. Friendly, even. Not the loud kind of student that he'd be trying to avoid.
When the book slipped from her hands and she caught it just in time, he jolted slightly, more out of being on edge than the sound itself. Her quiet apology pulled his attention fully, so he pushed his hood back some more, just enough so she could see his face, and offered a small, hesitant smile.
"It's alright." he said softly "You can sit here. I don't mind."
He shifted upright a little, adjusting his truck so it wasn't taking up much room, more out of instinct than anything else, as if it would make the compartment feel less cramped despite it just being the two of them in there.
He rubbed his palms against his knees, unsure what to do with himself now that he wasn't alone.
"Uh..I'm Edward." he added after a moment, rubbing the back of his neck "Edward Hawks."
He glanced at her book, then back at her.
“…Are you first year too?”
Word count: 296
Last edited by Edward Hawks on 20 Dec 2025, 23:57, edited 1 time in total.
stamina ◦ 5 | evasion ◦ 7 | strength ◦ 4 | wisdom ◦ 8 | arcane ◦ 7 | accuracy ◦ 4
"Live life to the fullest."
A Compartment with a View
Rosalyn didn't mean to drop the book. She really hoped that she hadn't woken him up, because that would have made her feel so, so bad.
He pulled the hood down a bit, not much, and then some more, so she could see his face. He smiled, almost like he was nervous, too. Or maybe just tired. Either would make sense, Rosalyn knew that she had had a long day. and the day before, so she wasn't new to the concept of exhaustion.
"Thanks, Edward. It's nice to meet you. I'm Rosalyn, but I go by Rosie usually. And yeah, I'm a first year, pretty new to this whole thing." she said, responding to his question, still quiet. She knew that when she was tired, she hated anything loud and jarring, so she was just being on the safe side, in case he was the same way.
"I'm assuming your a first year too? If not, I'm sorry. she said, just when he asked if she was a first year 'too', she made an inference.
Whoa, breathe she thought to herself as she felt her heart rate jump, reminding herself to keep doing that. Her anxiety was flaring up a bit, with all of this being so new, and she didn't know if she was intruding, and she had no clue if she had woken him up by almost dropping her book, and what if she had offended him by assuming he was a first-year, and what if he already hated her because she was too loud or annoying him or
Breathe she thought again, because having a panic attack in front of a boy she had just met did not seem like a great way to start off the train ride. She hoped it wasn't noticeable, she had gotten better at hiding panic attacks, but who knows.
She forced herself to take a deep, slow breath, hopefully invisible to Edward.
"Sorry, I'm pretty new to all of this. And sorry again for intruding, I couldn't find any other compartments." she said, hoping that he didn't already hate her.
He pulled the hood down a bit, not much, and then some more, so she could see his face. He smiled, almost like he was nervous, too. Or maybe just tired. Either would make sense, Rosalyn knew that she had had a long day. and the day before, so she wasn't new to the concept of exhaustion.
"Thanks, Edward. It's nice to meet you. I'm Rosalyn, but I go by Rosie usually. And yeah, I'm a first year, pretty new to this whole thing." she said, responding to his question, still quiet. She knew that when she was tired, she hated anything loud and jarring, so she was just being on the safe side, in case he was the same way.
"I'm assuming your a first year too? If not, I'm sorry. she said, just when he asked if she was a first year 'too', she made an inference.
Whoa, breathe she thought to herself as she felt her heart rate jump, reminding herself to keep doing that. Her anxiety was flaring up a bit, with all of this being so new, and she didn't know if she was intruding, and she had no clue if she had woken him up by almost dropping her book, and what if she had offended him by assuming he was a first-year, and what if he already hated her because she was too loud or annoying him or
Breathe she thought again, because having a panic attack in front of a boy she had just met did not seem like a great way to start off the train ride. She hoped it wasn't noticeable, she had gotten better at hiding panic attacks, but who knows.
She forced herself to take a deep, slow breath, hopefully invisible to Edward.
"Sorry, I'm pretty new to all of this. And sorry again for intruding, I couldn't find any other compartments." she said, hoping that he didn't already hate her.
A Compartment with a View
Dialogue: #4682b4
Edward shook his head as he looked towards Rosalyn, and removed his hood. His mother’s voice echoed in his mind that it was rude to have it up.
"Sorry.” he murmured, though he wasn’t even sure what part he was apologising for. The hood, maybe. Or the awkwardness. Or the fact that he didn’t know how to make things less strange for her, even if he wanted to.
He rubbed the back of his neck, fingers brushing through his hair in a small, nervous motion before dropping back to his lap.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you as well, Rosie.” he added, finally making eye contact for what felt like longer than a second. “I usually go by Red… not entirely sure why, it’s just something my parents called me and it stuck.”
Edward found it oddly comforting that she was a first year too. Something about hearing her say it eased the tightness in his chest, settling his nerves more than he expected. If she was just as new to all of this, then maybe he didn’t have to worry as much about saying the wrong thing or looking completely out of place.
“Yeah… I am,” he said softly, giving a small nod. “First year.”
He noticed she apologised a lot, as if every small thing she did might somehow bother him. He understood that feeling more than he wanted to admit.
The thought of starting off on the wrong foot with someone you’d be stuck sharing a compartment with for the whole trip to Hogwarts, that was its own kind of pressure. And he couldn’t blame her for trying to avoid it.
“No need to apologise. It's not like I own the place, right.” he smirked along with a slight chuckle, making a humorous comment in the hopes it would ease her “I expected someone to come in here eventually, especially since most of the compartments I passed were full.”
There was a long pause before he spoke again, turning his attention back towards the window. Edward was never the best at directing a conversation, but after a quick glance back towards Rosie, anything was better than awkward silence.
He glanced toward the book in her hands, giving a small, uncertain nod. “What’re you reading?”
Word count: 377
Last edited by Edward Hawks on 20 Dec 2025, 23:58, edited 1 time in total.
stamina ◦ 5 | evasion ◦ 7 | strength ◦ 4 | wisdom ◦ 8 | arcane ◦ 7 | accuracy ◦ 4
"Live life to the fullest."
A Compartment with a View
"Oh, it's one of my favorites, from home. A muggle book. It's about a princess and a rebel who have to work together to defeat the leader of the rebels. I wanted to have it, a little piece of home while I'm here." Rosalyn replied. She truly did love that book. It was pretty short, so perfect for rereading. It had gotten her through many car rides, and hopefully it would help her with this train ride, too.
"And it's very nice to meet you, Red." she said. A very interesting nickname, she thought, considering his name, but she liked it. For some reason, it just felt like it suited him.
She was so happy that he was a first year, and he hadn't insulted him by assuming. That would have been really awkward if he wasn't one. And being on a very long train ride with someone who was already not liking her would have been horrible for the both of them.
Unless, maybe he didn't like her. Maybe he was pretending, but secretly he already hated her. Or...breathe. Again. Why is it so hard to remember to do that?
"And sorry about assuming, still." she said, just to be safe. As he said, he may not own the compartment, but he still was here first.
"Umm, are you excited to go to Hogwarts? Do you even know what's going on? I'm super new to all of this, so I'm just following what my letter told me to do, the one that Professor gave me when they told me and my family about all of this." she says, about to apologize again, but that might annoy him, so she just chose not to.
"And what house do you hope to be sorted in? I think that's what they're called, houses." she asked, curious. She had heard a tiny bit about them, but not that much, so she didn't know a whole lot about them, so she didn't really have an opinion on which of the four she would rather be in. All she knew is that it would be like her family, and she hoped that she was put into whichever one she would work best in.
"And it's very nice to meet you, Red." she said. A very interesting nickname, she thought, considering his name, but she liked it. For some reason, it just felt like it suited him.
She was so happy that he was a first year, and he hadn't insulted him by assuming. That would have been really awkward if he wasn't one. And being on a very long train ride with someone who was already not liking her would have been horrible for the both of them.
Unless, maybe he didn't like her. Maybe he was pretending, but secretly he already hated her. Or...breathe. Again. Why is it so hard to remember to do that?
"And sorry about assuming, still." she said, just to be safe. As he said, he may not own the compartment, but he still was here first.
"Umm, are you excited to go to Hogwarts? Do you even know what's going on? I'm super new to all of this, so I'm just following what my letter told me to do, the one that Professor gave me when they told me and my family about all of this." she says, about to apologize again, but that might annoy him, so she just chose not to.
"And what house do you hope to be sorted in? I think that's what they're called, houses." she asked, curious. She had heard a tiny bit about them, but not that much, so she didn't know a whole lot about them, so she didn't really have an opinion on which of the four she would rather be in. All she knew is that it would be like her family, and she hoped that she was put into whichever one she would work best in.
Last edited by Rosalyn Willows on 10 Dec 2025, 15:43, edited 1 time in total.
A Compartment with a View
Dialogue: #4682b4
Edward kept eye-contact with the girl as she spoke, apart from the occasional blink and a glance towards the book she was describing. He actually liked the sound of it. It was the sort of thing he could see himself reading. He did roll his eyes somewhat when she said muggle.
He’d never really liked that word. Something about it felt off, as if it suggested that people without magic were somehow lesser, and that idea never sat right with him.
A small but noticeable smirk tugged at his lips when she apologised again, and he brushed his thumb across his mouth before glancing to the side for a moment, trying to hide how oddly amused he was by it.
"I'm excited, I guess." he replied. Shrugging his shoulders, still unsure exactly what to feel at that moment "My dad went to Hogwarts, so did his parents... and their parents.. and, well you get the point."
He wasn’t trying to brag, and hoped it didn't come across that way, more just saying it how it was, but hearing himself say it made the pressure suddenly feel a lot more real. It hit him that he really did need to do well there.
"I wouldn't worry too much about not knowing what's going on. I'm sure they'll explain everything when we arrive," he said, reaching down toward his trunk and lifting the lid just enough to slide his hand inside. After a moment of rummaging, he pulled out one of the books - 'Hogwarts, A History'
"I'm not sure if it actually has any answers," he admitted, turning the cover over to the first page, "but it feels like the kind of book that should."
When she asked which house he'd want to be sorted into, he just shrugged again.
"Well, as my dad would say, ‘You come from a long line of eagles.’" He deepened his voice as he said it, mimicking his father with a seriousness that didn’t quite match the large grin on his face "I don't know, Slytherin sounds cool so maybe them."
He tilted his head slightly, returning the question "What about you?"
Word count: 356
Last edited by Edward Hawks on 20 Dec 2025, 23:58, edited 1 time in total.
stamina ◦ 5 | evasion ◦ 7 | strength ◦ 4 | wisdom ◦ 8 | arcane ◦ 7 | accuracy ◦ 4
"Live life to the fullest."
A Compartment with a View
Rosalyn did not know how it felt to have the pressure of a family member telling her which 'house' she should be in. Both of her parents were not magical, and they knew even less than she did on this whole 'house' thing. She did feel bad for Red though, with that extra pressure on him.
"I think that you should be whatever you want to be. Or whatever fits best. All the things!" she says, hoping to at least provide a break for him from the 'you must be this' type of thing.
"Where did you get that book?" she asks, watching as he pulls out a really thick one, which probably has a lot of words but very little answers. Speaking from experience at her old schools, textbooks usually don't work very well.
"Me? Oh, well, I don't really know. Maybe Ravenclaw, I guess. That would be pretty cool. Honestly though, I'm not against any of them. I'm just along for the ride, pun intended." she said, trying to lighten the mood a touch.
Red seemed pretty cool, and not like the type to be mean to her just because of her parents not being magical, so she was happy she had found this compartment, and hopefully a new friend.
"I think that you should be whatever you want to be. Or whatever fits best. All the things!" she says, hoping to at least provide a break for him from the 'you must be this' type of thing.
"Where did you get that book?" she asks, watching as he pulls out a really thick one, which probably has a lot of words but very little answers. Speaking from experience at her old schools, textbooks usually don't work very well.
"Me? Oh, well, I don't really know. Maybe Ravenclaw, I guess. That would be pretty cool. Honestly though, I'm not against any of them. I'm just along for the ride, pun intended." she said, trying to lighten the mood a touch.
Red seemed pretty cool, and not like the type to be mean to her just because of her parents not being magical, so she was happy she had found this compartment, and hopefully a new friend.
A Compartment with a View
Dialogue: #4682b4
"This one?" Edward asked, closing the book and lifting it up towards Rosie.
It was a leather-bound book, easily three times the size of any he had owned at home. Fine gold lines edged the cover, framing the Hogwarts crest at its centre
"It was one of the books they had told us to collect beforehand." He thought for a moment, second guessing that he'd bought the correct book "At least... I think it was."
He reopened his trunk and began rummaging through it, pushing aside folded robes and loose parchment.
"I know I brought it with me." he whispered to himself, though not so quiet that he couldn't be heard.
After what felt like far too long, Edward finally grabbed a familiar envelope. He pulled it free and gave a small, triumphant punch into the air, which was probably a little dramatic. It was the acceptance letter, creased now from being folded and unfolded too many times.
"Okay so.." he mumbled, looking down at the paper, tracing the lines with his finger "Magical drafts... spells... dark forces.. ah, there it is, Hogwarts, a history."
Edward let out a sigh of relief that he'd brought the correct book, that would have been hard to explain to teachers had he brought the wrong one. Once he put the letter and the book back into his trunk, and was steadily back in his seat, he looked out of the window and watched as they passed the pastures and lakes that dotted Britain's landscape.
He heard Rosie explain which house she'd hoped for, but never responded, and only sat there in silence, fixated on the view. It was a while before Edward's gaze returned to focus on her, he even dosed off for a few minutes with his face smushed against the window.
"I'm looking forward to Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons." he said, breaking the silence once again "My dad's an auror, he's shown me a few spells but it'd be great to learn some of my own."
"What classes are you looking forward to?" he followed up.
Word count: 347
Last edited by Edward Hawks on 20 Dec 2025, 23:58, edited 1 time in total.
stamina ◦ 5 | evasion ◦ 7 | strength ◦ 4 | wisdom ◦ 8 | arcane ◦ 7 | accuracy ◦ 4
"Live life to the fullest."
A Compartment with a View
"Oh, right. Sorry, I don't have the best memory with names and things, but I do think I have the book!" she said, vaguely remembering buying it from one of the many stores that she had been to the day before.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts. Isn't that the class about learning how to defeat evil people?" she asked, trying to remember if that was right or not.
"I don't know too much about the classes, but based on what I've heard, Potions sounds pretty cool. I like baking, so kind of similar?" she said, knowing that the two were pretty different, but close enough in her opinion.
"Herbology seems neat as well, I like plants." she said, remembering all the ones that she had at home. She would always be in charge of watering them, because her parents would never remember.
"Uh, what's your favorite hobby?" she asked, curious to know what he enjoyed doing in his free time. She enjoyed crocheting a bit, and had brought some yarn in her bag. She doubted she could bake very much here, but she would have to look into keeping some plants in her dorm so she could at least take care of those.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts. Isn't that the class about learning how to defeat evil people?" she asked, trying to remember if that was right or not.
"I don't know too much about the classes, but based on what I've heard, Potions sounds pretty cool. I like baking, so kind of similar?" she said, knowing that the two were pretty different, but close enough in her opinion.
"Herbology seems neat as well, I like plants." she said, remembering all the ones that she had at home. She would always be in charge of watering them, because her parents would never remember.
"Uh, what's your favorite hobby?" she asked, curious to know what he enjoyed doing in his free time. She enjoyed crocheting a bit, and had brought some yarn in her bag. She doubted she could bake very much here, but she would have to look into keeping some plants in her dorm so she could at least take care of those.