Almost There Open to 1 More Closed

"And do you really not know what Quidditch is?"

Well, I think my stepfather mentioned it once... isn't some kind of board game? And the seeker is like the banker?" Liliafix's stepfather had indeed mentioned them. In fact, Jerome Tinderly had been grumbling about it at the time. "Such a childish game. I can't believe people like to watch it." Her stepfather was the only person with magical ability Liliafix knew. But he was rarely home from his job at the Ministry, and when he was, he didn't bother talking to Liliafix. "Well, whatever it is- it sure sounds like you like it." Liliafix wasn't that interested in Quidditch, as her stepfather had made it seem very boring. Well, more like frivolous and ridiculous. Everything Liliafix knew about the Wizarding World came from her father, his opinions with it. Looking towards the black-haired girl, Liliafix tried to include her in the conversation. The girl had taken out a sketchpad and had begun to draw. "What are you drawing?" she asked.

Yong was happily drawing, scribbling away, minding her own business. It didn't cross her mind that she would be properly included in the conversation, she really just thought that she would be left alone. Not that a little conversation was a bad thing! Just the next thing that rung in Yong's ears lingered due to it being unexpected. 

"What are you drawing?"

Yong looked up from her illustration and smiled shyly, shyly from the unexpected question. She gazed at the girl she thought had asked the question, a blonde. Lillia? Lillis? Lydia? What was it? Something that began with an L, that's all that Yong remembered. In an attempt to be polite, Yong lay her drawing utensil on the page, smiling confidently and laughing awkwardly.  

"Just a... Just someone from a band that I like. It's a Korean band, so I doubt you'll know it," Yong trailed off awkwardly. Why was she being like this? Usually Yong was confident and smily. If it were the shock from being asked a question, that was strange and unusual. "BlackPink. That's the name of the band. Ever heard of it?" Her eyes wandered around to every one in the compartment. Hopefully no one thought she was strange...

Looking at the boy, she grinned. It was really nice to meet someone who seemed to love Quidditch as much as she did. Despite the fact that her mother had once been one of the best, she didn't seem to care all that much about the sport anymore. Her father liked to watch it, but didn't particularly fancy flying or playing himself. She loved flying, and she loved playing Qudditch even more. She really hoped she'd make her house team when she got to Hogwarts. She couldn't imagine what she would do if she didn't, but she didn't say anything about that since she didn't want to sound like a braggart. 

The blonde girl spoke again and Anastasia glanced over at her. She clearly hadn't grown up with magic, why else would she know so little about the greatest sport in the world? 

Well, I think my stepfather mentioned it once... isn't some kind of board game? And the seeker is like the banker

"Um, not exactly," Anastasia replied, trying to keep the disdain out of her voice. She didn't have anything against this girl, she just loved Quidditch more than nearly anything and couldn't even try to explain it since she had been playing for so long. She was about to attempt to explain anyway when the blonde began to change the subject. Why would she ask about Quidditch if she didn't want to know the answer? she thought, frowning to herself a bit. 

BlackPink. That's the name of the band. Ever heard of it?

"Is it a Muggle band?" Anastasia asked. She played a few instruments and sang, but she wasn't particularly interested in muggle music. Her mother and her liked muggle clothing alright, but that was all Muggle related that her father would let them associate with. 

Clarke was taken aback when Liliafix compared Quidditch to a board game. And A seeker being a banker? Who ever heard of such non sense. He didn't necessarily have anything against board games or card games but comparing something like gobstones to Quidditch would be ridiculous.

"It's a sport," Clarke told Liliafix, "You play it on a broom and get more points than the other team." He wanted to keep the explanation as simple as possible. It was a complicated game all things considered. He had to explain it to a muggle born once or twice but it usually took a very long in depth conversation with them. He wasn't good with explaining things to muggle borns. Not that he had anything against them or anything but they just were from such a different world. They'd compare certain aspects of Quidditch to things in their life and Clarke wouldn't understand enough to tell them if they were right or not. It was weird for him. Just not being able to connect with them. Especially if they didn't know Quidditch, which they never did. Unless they did some studying beforehand. But it seemed very little of them were interested in studying sports on their way to Hogwarts.

BlackPink. That's the name of the band. Ever heard of it?

"Hmm.. it actually sounds familiar..." Liliafix trailed off, racking her brain for the memory. "Oh, yeah. My old friend loved that band. It seems pretty cool to me, but music isn't really my thing." Liliafix's voice lowered. Her old friend had ditched her, while insulting the sensitive Liliafix. This left Liliafix very self-conscious and shy. However, the incident also left Liliafix very lonely. This is why she was trying to engage in conversation.

"It's a sport," Clarke told Liliafix, "You play it on a broom and get more points than the other team."

Liliafix thought this sounded much more interesting than what her stepfather told her. Quidditch actually seemed pretty interesting. She still didn't know what a seeker was, though. Maybe it was like soccer, and it was a position, like goalie. Liliafix decided that must be it, but she didn't say anything out loud. She had already missed the mark pretty badly by comparing Quidditch to a board game. The boy didn't seem all that interested in explaining it to her, though. Liliafix was still stuck on the part about the broomstick. She had, of course, seen some in Diagon Alley, but that didn't tell her what it was like to actually fly. She could only wonder....Realizing she had been daydreaming, staring awkwardly into nothing, she tried to ignite another conversation. "I read in Hogwarts, a History that there are four houses. Which house do you think you guys will be put in?" she commented, hoping that wasn't a stupid question like her board game idea.

Right... receiving a letter by owl and travelling all the waydown to London apparently wasn’t enough already. They had to add walking through a wall on the list of getting on that train.

Hugh’s father had dropped the boy off all the way from scotland to king’s cross station. Thinking his son would find the right track on his own, he left him at the entrance. Which Hugh normally would, but it took him a while to figure out the last part. It was not until he talked to what seemed like an unusual looking elderly lady and her granddaughter, that he learned the exact location of track 9^3/4.

Having reached the train he felt relieved. Though this was only the start of yet another trip into the unknown. His nervous thoughts seemed to flare up as quick as the train exhausted its steam. Get on that train Hugh. One foot after the other, awrite.

It wasn’t easy for him. Though he was a kind lad, he wasn’t particularly sociable. But he knew he’d have to step up if he wanted to go through with this plan. He scoffed. ‘Plan’, sure... great plan Hugh... try to find somewhere to sit. You don’t want to stand the whole trip.

Eventually he had enough. In one move he closed his eyes and grabbed the handle of the nearest cabin. With one strong pull he opened the sliding door. Standing in the opening of the entrance and opening his eyes in surprise of his own action, he tried to respond too quickly.

”h-hello there... Hugh... He started while pointing at himself. ”I was uuh...you see... no room... no friends He smacked his hand to his head. No friends? Nice going Lowe...

He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. “I’m Hugh Lowe, braw to meet ye” Yes, that seemed to work. Though his scottish accent was heavily present. He tried to keep it down. “I’ve got no where else to sit. Mind if I join you guys?”

"I read in Hogwarts, a History that there are four houses. Which house do you think you guys will be put in?"

Anastasia perked up a bit. She was rather proud of her all Slytherin family and was happy to talk about them. "Well, my entire family has been Slytherin for ages, so obviously, I'm going to be as well. I'm quite glad too, since everyone knows that Slytherin is really the very best house," Anastasia said, her voice absloutely certain. She'd grown up hearing about how the only house was Slytherin. Anything else simply wouldn't do. She knew it was more than talk too since her own cousin had been disowned after she'd been sorted into Hufflepuff. Her parents had claimed it wasn't because of the fact that she was the wrong house, but Anastasia knew it had certainly contributed. 


The door opened suddenly, and Anastasia turned sharply to see what it was. The boy who'd appeared seemed rather stricken as he began to babble about no room and no friends. She wondered if he was quite alright. She thought that, despite the fact that he seemed rather frozen at the moment, he seemed like he could be alright enough, and certainly not so horrible that she couldn't bear to spend a train ride with him. "You're welcome to sit here, I suppose," Anastasia told the newcomer. "I'm Anastasia Beckett."

Hugh sighed in relief. Instantly causing him to relax a bit. In a matter of seconds, he had thrown his luggage on top of one of the racks above their heads and placed himself in one of the seats near the door. With his mind calm and focused, he looked at all those present. "Right." he coughed a bit in his left hand.

His eyes got caught into one girl's drawing. She was pretty good. Perhaps they could draw together one day, only time would tell. He tapped his fingers nervously on his legs. He was slowly going to doze off, he knew that. Ever since he was a little babe, his parents had told him he'd sleep in an instant when travelling with their car. The train was no different. But he couldn't let that happen now. He sat up straight and he forced himself to paying attention on what was being told by the others. Perhaps he could learn a thing or two from then while they were here, travelling together.

After all, Hugh had nil experience in the wizarding world. He had no clue on the numbers, but he could not be the only half-blood in all of the UK. Not even Scotland! In silence, he listened and followed along with where the discussion led him.