1st September 2026, The Ride to Hogwarts
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Lucy stepped onto the train and had some help from the train attendant with her trunk across the gap between the platform and the train. Once in, she immediately had to stop herself from turning back. Not because she wanted to leave. Nor because she was nervous of all the change in a short period of time. Definitely not. There was simply so much to see. To look at. The Hogwarts Express was enormous up close. The scarlet paint was so bright that it almost looked strange against the different shades of grey that was the platform, and the brass fittings caught the station's lights whenever Lucy moved her head. Everything seemed polished. Properly so, too. Not the kind of clean that Mum managed at home, but the kind that made Lucy wonder how often somebody had to polish all of it for it to stay so. Shiny.
Lucy reached one hand out and lightly touched the brass beside the doorway. Cold. Her eyes narrowed with interest. Then the train gave a little hiss, and Lucy quickly stepped further inside. Away from the doorway.
The corridor was much more narrow than she had expected. Lanterns on the walls were emitting soft and warm yellow light over the wooden doors. Behind some of them came voices, laughter, and a few thumps here and there whenever something moved around. Suitcases were being stored on overhead racks and doors were opened and closed. Somewhere further away she already heard someone laugh so loud that it was probably heard in the whole train.
Lucy checked the straps on her trunk and made sure everything was still with her. Then she looked around. So many compartments. She walked a little farther, peering through the glass in the doors she passed. Some were already crowded with students, others had only one or two people inside. A cage made her stop for a second. And owl. She stared at it. Then she continued. A couple steps later, she stopped again. Another owl. Her eyebrows lifted. Were there going to be owls everywhere? She looked down at her things, then at the owl, briefly thinking if she was supposed to bring one with her. No. Probably not. She can’t remember anything about it in the instructions.
Finally. Lucy found an empty compartment and pulled the door open. She climbed onto one of the seats, then immediately got up and leaned out into the corridor to give it one more look around. The train hummed beneath her feet. So strange. She could feel it before it had even properly started moving. A little vibration running through the floor and up her boots. She grinned. Awesome. She had absolutely no idea what the next seven years were going to be like. But this seemed like a good start.
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Lucy stepped onto the train and had some help from the train attendant with her trunk across the gap between the platform and the train. Once in, she immediately had to stop herself from turning back. Not because she wanted to leave. Nor because she was nervous of all the change in a short period of time. Definitely not. There was simply so much to see. To look at. The Hogwarts Express was enormous up close. The scarlet paint was so bright that it almost looked strange against the different shades of grey that was the platform, and the brass fittings caught the station's lights whenever Lucy moved her head. Everything seemed polished. Properly so, too. Not the kind of clean that Mum managed at home, but the kind that made Lucy wonder how often somebody had to polish all of it for it to stay so. Shiny.
Lucy reached one hand out and lightly touched the brass beside the doorway. Cold. Her eyes narrowed with interest. Then the train gave a little hiss, and Lucy quickly stepped further inside. Away from the doorway.
The corridor was much more narrow than she had expected. Lanterns on the walls were emitting soft and warm yellow light over the wooden doors. Behind some of them came voices, laughter, and a few thumps here and there whenever something moved around. Suitcases were being stored on overhead racks and doors were opened and closed. Somewhere further away she already heard someone laugh so loud that it was probably heard in the whole train.
Lucy checked the straps on her trunk and made sure everything was still with her. Then she looked around. So many compartments. She walked a little farther, peering through the glass in the doors she passed. Some were already crowded with students, others had only one or two people inside. A cage made her stop for a second. And owl. She stared at it. Then she continued. A couple steps later, she stopped again. Another owl. Her eyebrows lifted. Were there going to be owls everywhere? She looked down at her things, then at the owl, briefly thinking if she was supposed to bring one with her. No. Probably not. She can’t remember anything about it in the instructions.
Finally. Lucy found an empty compartment and pulled the door open. She climbed onto one of the seats, then immediately got up and leaned out into the corridor to give it one more look around. The train hummed beneath her feet. So strange. She could feel it before it had even properly started moving. A little vibration running through the floor and up her boots. She grinned. Awesome. She had absolutely no idea what the next seven years were going to be like. But this seemed like a good start.
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1st September 2026, The Ride to Hogwarts
Zara Blackwood had been trying very hard not to look like she was about to explode with excitement. It wasn't working. She stood on the platform with one hand wrapped around the handle of her trunk, staring up at the Hogwarts Express with wide eyes. She'd seen pictures of it before, of course. She'd heard stories from her siblings but none of that quite prepared her for actually standing beside it. The scarlet train looked almost impossibly bright against the grey platform, steam curling around its wheels and drifting lazily across the ground. Zara's eyes moved over the carriages, taking in every little detail she could find.
So that's it
Her smile widened.
That's actually it
She finally pulled her trunk forward, carefully making her way toward the train. There were already students climbing aboard, some looking just as excited as she felt and others seeming considerably more comfortable with the whole thing. Zara paused near the entrance, glancing back toward the platform. For a brief moment, she wondered if she should feel nervous. She climbed aboard, dragging her trunk behind her before stopping in the corridor.
The train was even more impressive from the inside. Zara looked down one direction of the corridor, then the other. Compartments lined both sides, some already occupied by groups of students talking amongst themselves. None of the faces were familiar enough for her to confidently approach. Not yet, anyway.
She adjusted the strap of her bag over her shoulder and started walking. Her first thought was to find an empty compartment. Her second thought was that an empty compartment seemed rather boring. Zara slowed as she passed one compartment after another, peering through the glass doors. She saw a girl alone in the compartment, she popped her head in,"Hi! Are these seats taken?"
So that's it
Her smile widened.
That's actually it
She finally pulled her trunk forward, carefully making her way toward the train. There were already students climbing aboard, some looking just as excited as she felt and others seeming considerably more comfortable with the whole thing. Zara paused near the entrance, glancing back toward the platform. For a brief moment, she wondered if she should feel nervous. She climbed aboard, dragging her trunk behind her before stopping in the corridor.
The train was even more impressive from the inside. Zara looked down one direction of the corridor, then the other. Compartments lined both sides, some already occupied by groups of students talking amongst themselves. None of the faces were familiar enough for her to confidently approach. Not yet, anyway.
She adjusted the strap of her bag over her shoulder and started walking. Her first thought was to find an empty compartment. Her second thought was that an empty compartment seemed rather boring. Zara slowed as she passed one compartment after another, peering through the glass doors. She saw a girl alone in the compartment, she popped her head in,"Hi! Are these seats taken?"
1st September 2026, The Ride to Hogwarts
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While still peering around the corridor with her hands on the frame of the door and her body leaning outside the compartment, Lucy realises that from now on going forward every single person she meets is a stranger to her. She finds the thought, not only a little scary, but also exciting and annoying at the same time. Communication with new people is always such a hassle. Some absolutely lack the patience to even realise that she is working on it. Some think she can't hear and that is why she writes. And some, although rare, are so nicely patient, but then treat her like she couldn't handle basic everyday things.
Lucy retreats into her compartment. Her own little hideout for the trip. Or so there is hoping. She then tries to shove her trunk into the luggage rack above the seats but finds it a bit difficult. The rack being so high up and the trunk not being the lightest weight either. After a while of struggling with it she finally managed to boost her trunk on the rack by pushing it with her head and shoulder while climbing onto the seats to gain the extra reach she needed. She jumps down and quickly checks around to make sure no one saw her little performance. Then quickly brushes away any evidence of her climbing on the seats with her boots on. After this, she admires her accomplishment for a second before she's interrupted.
A sudden -CLACK- the brass latch on the door turning, followed by -WHOOSH- the heavy wooden door sliding open on its tracks.
"Hi! Are these seats taken?" Asks a blue eyed girl with dark hair from the doorway.
Lucy turns toward the door and freezes for a moment. There is a girl there. She stares at the girl. She stares for a second longer, and then she blinks. She flinches slightly as she realises she was asked a question. She looks at the empty seats and then at her own things on her claimed spot. Then at the girl again and shakes her head. She smiles and gestures for her to get in. Lucy spots the girl’s trunk. Points at it, and then at the rack above the seats. She makes a little lifting motion with her hands, then points at herself and raises her eyebrows while staring at the girl in inquiry.
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While still peering around the corridor with her hands on the frame of the door and her body leaning outside the compartment, Lucy realises that from now on going forward every single person she meets is a stranger to her. She finds the thought, not only a little scary, but also exciting and annoying at the same time. Communication with new people is always such a hassle. Some absolutely lack the patience to even realise that she is working on it. Some think she can't hear and that is why she writes. And some, although rare, are so nicely patient, but then treat her like she couldn't handle basic everyday things.
Lucy retreats into her compartment. Her own little hideout for the trip. Or so there is hoping. She then tries to shove her trunk into the luggage rack above the seats but finds it a bit difficult. The rack being so high up and the trunk not being the lightest weight either. After a while of struggling with it she finally managed to boost her trunk on the rack by pushing it with her head and shoulder while climbing onto the seats to gain the extra reach she needed. She jumps down and quickly checks around to make sure no one saw her little performance. Then quickly brushes away any evidence of her climbing on the seats with her boots on. After this, she admires her accomplishment for a second before she's interrupted.
A sudden -CLACK- the brass latch on the door turning, followed by -WHOOSH- the heavy wooden door sliding open on its tracks.
"Hi! Are these seats taken?" Asks a blue eyed girl with dark hair from the doorway.
Lucy turns toward the door and freezes for a moment. There is a girl there. She stares at the girl. She stares for a second longer, and then she blinks. She flinches slightly as she realises she was asked a question. She looks at the empty seats and then at her own things on her claimed spot. Then at the girl again and shakes her head. She smiles and gestures for her to get in. Lucy spots the girl’s trunk. Points at it, and then at the rack above the seats. She makes a little lifting motion with her hands, then points at herself and raises her eyebrows while staring at the girl in inquiry.
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