A comfortable train ride Open Closed

"My dad is a um...." He snapped his fingers as he had forgotten the English word. "A muggle!" He pointed at the sky at his eureka moment, drawing stares from the compartment next to theirs. "-And my mother is witch, she went to Beauxbatons. I don't know much of my family beyond that, besides my siblings." His expression warmed when talking about his family.

"I suppose." Leo thought about this. He had to admit there were some exciting concepts in potions. Polyjuice, animagus potions, amortencia, but there was something too household about them for him. "My brother mentioned that alchemy might be an option, but he was kind of vague about it. I don't know if it was maybe a subject years ago?."

Leo finished off the last piece of the pie and deconstructed their makeshift table, gently popping his wizard chess board back in his trunk and pulling out his copy of A History of Magic, opening the freshly bought book and skimming a couple of pages till he got to the chapter he was looking for. "I like the concept of ancient magics." Leo mused as his eyes drifted across the page. "Long-lost spells not seen for centuries, some so strong they still haven't got a counter-spell yet! It's fascinating."

Charlie felt the train slightly turn, motioning her to look outside of the window. Below was a big field, and it seemed like in the distance, hills would go on just about forever. It was beautiful, watching the sunset in the distance.
While their topic of conversation was interesting, she wanted to know more from her friends. "Have ye ever been to a Quidditch Game?" She grinned widely, "My mother works fer de Ministry, wizard sports section. I was able to watch de Quidditch Cup a few years ago, don't remember much but I had fun." Charlie recalled going, her mother and father wearing green and white facepaint.
"My mother would play in de backyard with my father. I tried it once n' broke my arm." She cringed at the thought, it wasnt pleasant. "I don't find myself 'n a broom anytime soon."
Charlie ran her fingers through her hair, and wrestled with a small knot on the end. She hated when her hair was tangled, if there 'nly was a spell for that, she thought. She fished for a hair tie in her robes, and put her bundle of locks up into a high ponytail. She felt like she could see more with her hair up, and it wasn't as annoying in her face. She quickly glanced into the window to make sure it wasn't too messy, but it looks just fine to her.

Lavinia smiled, watching the train pass by the scenery, sighing. "No, I... I've read about the sport, but both my parents weren't big on it, my mother's very height-scared, and my dad claims he has 'too much self respect to be seen flying a household sweeper' she giggles, shaking her head. "I'd have loved to learn to use one earlier, but maybe then flkying class will just be more fun." she smiled, sighing as she looked out.

"Flying, spells, magic... no wonder muggles are raised not believing this all, I'd hardly believe it either if i was raised with the idea of that these things weren't real, but... I'd never trade it in for a muggle life either," she mused, picking up the charms book, and going to another spell. Moving her wand, but not uttering the words, gave her plenty of chance to practice before classes.

"I heard people also like Defense again the Dark arts, but me, i don't know.... Isn't everything, potentially able to be used, as a dark art?" she questioned, frowning as she moved her wand, with the movement of the expelliarmus spell. "But the idea of people wanting to use such an amazing ability such as magic, only to use for bad.... why?"

"We have a family broom, but I've only ever ridden it with my mum." Leo said pensively. "Plus it's quite old, not exactly one you'd use for sports." He shrugged. He omitted the fact that he also didn't have any witch or wizard friends growing up to play quidditch with, and brother and sister never took it upon themselves to teach Leo how to play. He wondered if he'd enjoy the sport.

"I suppose the intent is what makes it a dark art." Leo pointed out. "Wands can tell if you're trying to do something for a bad reason, it makes some of them sad."He was reciting the same words his brother had mentioned to him a while back. With his brother training to be a wandmaker, the science of wands was becoming an area that Leo was increasingly knowledgable in.

He leaned back gently against his seat, his chin drifting towards the window as the setting sunlight bounced off his soft features. "You know, I'm really glad I met you both." He said with a warm tone. "I hope we can stay friends for a really long time."

"Oh look!." A smile bloomed on Leo's face as the castle began to enter their field of vision. "Goodness, I hardly realised we'd moved at all. It's been such a comfortable train ride that you'd think we'd still be in Kings Cross." He chuckled.

"Ay, I agree," Charlie nodded, "I hope we become great friends." Leo's smile felt welcoming to her, and made her nerves almost disappear. When he pointed out the castle in the distance, she leaned over Lavinias shoulder. The towers and walls stood in the distance, slowly ascending towards her view. She noticed it got darker in the sky, a tinge of orange and yellow spread through, fading as they got closer to the school.
A cluster of footsteps gradually became more and more busy outside of their compartment, signaling to Charlie that they were getting really close. She kept her seat, she'll get her things eventually. For now, she wanted to spend time with her possible new friends.
"No matter what house we all get." Charlie smiled, and continued to stare outside. She could almost take a nap with how peaceful it looked. The lake shimmered with the light left of the sun, and she almost could swear there was something moving in it.
Charlie gripped onto her robes, her anxiety coming back again. Alot was flooding in her mind,

What house am I going to be in?
Am I going to pass my classes?
Who am I going to be?

Her mother told her many things, but one of them being that Hogwarts would change you for life. Charlie hopes it will be for the best.

The bl9nd smiled, nodding in agreement as she wa5ched their classmates outside behin to shuffle about, some getting in their robes last-second, and alot watching the castle approaching.

"Hey, even if we all end up in different houses... let's all agree to stay friends." She suggested, smiling brightly between the other two. "During lunch tomorrow, we can all look if we have a free period all together." She smiled, excited gor the future, as more students showed up outside, ready to rush off the very second the train stopped. This was their new home...

"Hey, here." She spoke quickly, getting a Quill out, and a blank bit of parchment, and tried to carefully keep an inkwell steady, as she wrote something down, then tore the parchment in half, giving one to Leo, with hers and Charlie's names on them, and the other to Charlue, with hers and Leo's name on it, keeping an extra piece gor herself, with Leo and Charlie's names.

"So even if its until weekend we see each other again, if we all get separated, we still remember each other's names." She explained, looking down as the names changed colors, Leo'sto a yelliw, almost orange hue, and Charlie to a firey red, while her own lightened from the black to a navy blue. "Magical ink. My mum says that depending on how well you get along, the color changes. If you all disagree, it stays black." She explained,smiling as she put the quill and ink back, and began packing her books back in the bookbag.

"Yeah let's do that!." Leo clapped in excitement. "Plus we can all study for class together, it'll be easier if we try to learn together. Secretly, Leo's intentions were slightly selfish, as he hoped that some of the intelligence and boldness of these two young women would rub off on him, but he did like hanging out with them nonetheless.

Leo wrote his name on the parchments and smiled as his name flamboyantly changed colour. "That's a neat little charm. I'll have to learn that one." He passed the pen back to Lavinia and began packing his stuff back into his trunk. "Hey, do you think we'll get to sit with each other on the boats? Or is it alphabetical?" The castle was getting closer now, Leo was starting to get nervous if he was being honest with himself. He hoped that the interior didn't look quite as intimidating as the inside. He steeled himself. You've got this. He said to himself. Be brave, be the bravest ever! He looked at the castle with a determined expression. No matter what, I've got to see this through

The train began faintly screeching as the tracks heaved against the wheels. They were arriving.