A New Year Finished

Nick was happy to finally be making his way toward the school that he had dreamed of for a while going to. Fully intent on one day joining the dueling club, learning to fly a broom, seeing all sorts of magical creatures, and even sitting in ungodly boring lectures. All of it was a dream he couldn't wait to live. He had already heard of the infamous platform that existed between the 9th and 10th platforms of the London train station. Nick felt amazing as he began a light jog, ducking his head like a linebacker making a tackle as no matter how many times he heard how it worked, his body didn't trust it.

Yet he made it to the other side, and immediately it was an entirely different atmosphere. What was once a busy London station full of people in normal muggle clothes was now a station full of people who looked more like witches or wizards did, some kids choosing to show up already dressed in their cloaks. There were also plenty of owls, toads, and other creatures flying or hopping about, many making noises from cages or crates as well. Nick was said to say he was without a pet, though he hoped to get one himself some time.

Staring about at some of the owls flying overhead Nick made contact with someone, finding himself mostly off-balance Nick dropped his suitcase as he caught himself from falling instead. As he looked at the reason he had almost face-planted before school even started he saw a girl, taller than most his age similar to Nick. The girl apologized but Nick knew it wasn't entirely her fault if not even entirely his.

"Nono, you are fine. I was distracted by all the flying owls and other noises happening. I should have been looking where I was going." Nick paused for a second. "Nick Lemond," He said holding his hand out. "I'm a first-year, hard to not get lost in this environment for the first time." He said laughing nervously at the fact that he had foolishly let this happen.

"No,it's ok, I wasn't looking either," she said, getting her balance. She accepted his hand and shaked it. "Well, Nick, I'm Kayla Realma. I'm in first year too, this place really is fascinating isn't it?" Kayla said, with a small smile. "It's just really interesting, hundreds of children travel here every year, or sometimes during holidays to come back from Christmas holidays, to attend Hogwarts. It's-it's just brilliant, brilliant magic," she said thoughtfully, taking a look around again. "I better get going, my siblings-" she points at six children who were bundled up together, looking around and at the train in awe.
She was still amazed in how beautiful and amazing the platform was. And how it could hold up so many people. And the muggles never noticed. "Imagine, muggles walk by this place everyday without noticing a thing," Kayla said, "they walk past without even knowing that there's a whole other platform full of wizards and witches." She added. Sam tugs her arm and Kayla just registers that she's there. "Oh- right- I gotta run, might be able to find an empty compartment if we go now, you wanna sit with us?" Kayla asked, picking up her heavy trunk.
(WC=200)
@Nick Lemond

Nick was happy that the girl didn't seem hurt or upset that he had somehow managed to walk into her. She was quick to talk, following his sentiment about the platform and how crazy the whole idea of the train station even was. He had to agree that it was wild how many people could walk through a wall in the middle of a train station, that the train station even existed and the fact that not one muggle would ever find out about it without being tied to a magical person.

In reality that was the most insane part about the whole place, not even the fact that there were hundreds of eleven year old's that had parents trusting enough to send them off to a school they never been to and many never even heard of for seven years only to return during summer and maybe holidays....it was wild.

Nick hadn't even thought about how he would end up having to find a place to sit on the train, he could have ended up having to sit with some random weirdos so he was thankful that this accident somehow turned out well for him. "Yeah I would love to join you guys actually" Nick said as he waited for the girl to take to lead. "Ill try to not walk into you this time." He joked. As the group walked Nick would try to start some sort of conversation as well. "Seems like you come from a big family? Are they all gonna come to Hogwarts one day too?"

Kayla laughed, as she started heaving her trunk in the direction of the train, Nick and Sam following next to her. "Haha, very funny, I guess I should try not to walk into you either," she said, with a smirk. "Yeah, I'm half-blood, see. I have quite the big family, true. We live with our father and my mother is dead. Not sure about the rest of them-" she waved vaguely at some of her siblings. "Most of my siblings are adopted, except for my twin brother and my older brother and sister," she ticks the names off her fingers. "Ella and Dylan are due to Hogwarts in about two years if they're magic, Michael is for sure going to Hogwarts next year, he's already shown tons of magic but I'm not to sure about Michaela, Jason was supposed to go this year but, he never got his letter. I dunno why because he definitely has potential. And-" she stopped speaking for a moment or two. "Sorry if I talk to much, when I start talking I can't seem to stop talking," she said apologetically, witch a shaky sort of grin. "How about your family? You got any siblings?" She asked.

Nick followed the girl as the group made their way towards the train. He was more than ready to board and make his way to what would hopefully be an amazing future. He was excited to be able to finally explore what he had been living around his whole life, but unable to ever actually do himself. The girl surprised Nick by nonchalantly mentioning her mother was dead. It was something many people had issues ever even processing let alone openly speaking about, but sometimes kids were also a little desensitized easier considering what their generation grew up around, sometimes they were vastly worse off as well. Nonetheless it was suprising.

She did have a big family as well, Nick forgetting the names of them all and their general age or magicalness shortly after the girl finished. "You do indeed have a big family geez." Nick said in response. "But no you are fine, people who talk a lot make conversations a lot easier after all. But no, I am an only child. Just live with my mom and dad, though my father is not home very often so its mostly me living with my mom and my dad hanging around." He said finishing with a chuckle. The two approaching the door of the train. "Well I guess now's the hard part of finding a cabin. After you."

@Kayla Realma

"Thank you," she said, walking inside the train. "An only child?" She repeated. "Don't you ever get bored, like what do you do all day? When it's just you and your mom?" She had heard worse things, of course, but she often fantasized what people would do all day, without siblings. Because she, as a matter of fact, couldn't stand a day without her annoyingly, amazing siblings."Your fine with just being with your mom?" She asked, looking onto a compartment, checking if there was people insides. "Not empty, let's try a different one," she said, gesturing for him to follow her. She takes a look into a different one, hoping people weren't inside. "Empty!" She said, walking inside and flopping onto a bench with an impish grin. "Take a sit, Mr Lemond, we have the whole compartment to ourselves!" She said cheerfully, waving her hand towards the seat across her with a flourish. She sits up and crosses her legs, despite the fact that she was wearing sneakers, that were not exactly clean. She digs in her trunk for a moment and pulls out a stripped sweater, black and blue, she puts it on and faces Nick. "What house are you expecting when we arrive?" She asked, laying back a bit. "I'm hoping for Hufflepuff, but my older sister says Ravenclaw is a better option, but then again, Gryffindor is not too bad either, my mother was a Gryffindor," she added, as an afterthought. "But I think Hufflepuff would suit me best."

She looked saw her sister waving her over in another compartment and Kayla nodded then looked back at Nick.
"Gotta go, was nice meeting you, Nick. Hope I'll see you at Hogwarts," she said and left to go to Alyassa.

Kayla has left the thread

@Nick Lemond