A First Year Entrance First Years Only

The long journey had nearly tired the young girl, but as the train came to a halt Rhian jumped out onto the platform with new energy. This was going to be so exciting! She couldn't see much, because it really was very crowded, and most of the other students were not only older but also bigger than her. There was a female voice calling all the first-years, and the young witch somehow managed to make her way towards it. Seemingly, the voice belonged to one of the professors or other staff personal of Hogwarts, and she would escort them over the great lake. Rhian nearly burst of excitement, then flattened her new black robes, which got wrinkled on the journey here. They made her feel like she belonged. Everybody wore them, and no one seemed to care. 'This is what not being different must feel like' she concluded and smiled at the thought. Finally, she was one of the crowd and nothing strange. It would be great to meet all the new people, and she would surely make friends easily.
She heard a girl say something about the nice view and turned to see a dark haired, dark eyed witch with her hands in her pockets. "Isn't it beautiful?" she asked the girl. "I've never seen anything like it before..."

Aislyn followed the queue off of the train, not that one could have deviated from the course, it was like being caught in a current. After setting foot on ground, she gave a light stretch and looked around. There's no way the train ride had been that long. Between the murmurs of students, the corralling from the teacher, and the lapping of the lake, the girl cast her eyes heavenward. She imprinted the image in her mind, although the difference in location from her home was marginal, the significantly lower amount of light allowed for a view she was not intimately familiar with.

Her gaze then fell upon the school, quite some distance from the station, it almost felt cruel to have this short gap between sitting and more sitting. She felt that she needed to run around, that she was going to go crazy if she was confined to much longer. She gave a soft sigh and focused more on the students around her. Although many comments were indistinct, there was a large recurring focus on the beauty of the image before them. This was all fine in her mind, but it was not like this was the view they were actually going to be seeing for the upcoming term. So, while she certainly found the newly visible depth in the sky captivating, she was going to hold her opinion on the view until she was looking out.

As more and more students stepped off of the train and joined the circle, Arthur watched the glittering castle lit up in the distance as he listened to the conversations around him.

"I wonder if they have us arrive this late, just to light the castle up like that on purpose?"

Arthur laughed. "Probably." he said. It was all theater. It had to be. After all, these were wizards that could transport them all in the blink of the eye if they wanted to. He looked over as an Irish girl started talking about the journey over. He had been wondering about that himself. What about students who lived in Scotland? Or worse, muggle born students who didn’t have the option of just popping in and out wherever they liked. Did they really have to go all the way down to London just to come back up the same way? That seemed unusually cruel. Of course, he was sure they would say something about the 'bonding experience' of it all. But he doubted their parents would be very impressed with that.

"It is a nice view though..." he muttered, along with the others. At least they could all agree on that.

Sariel stepped off the train's iron grate steps as steam rolled around her robes. They trailed behind her in a dramatic fashion but she was far too excited to notice much beyond the glimmering lights waiting for them to the in distance. Excitement touched her and she grinned, before turning back to make sure Louis was behind her. "Louis! Look! We can some of the castle from the hilltop!" Leaping down the last stair, she bumped into another student and gave them a quick apology. "Oops...sorry! Louis! C'mon!" The boy was at her heels soon enough and she gave him a glowing smile. "We're so close!"


"Sorry! Sorry! Excuse me! So sorry!" Louis cried, giving away his position to Sariel as he hauled his heavy suitcase after him, thinking down each step and crashing into other students as he followed after Sariel eagerly, much like a dog would its owner as he smiled happily at everyone he made eye cintact with. Catching up to Sariel, he grins up at her as he does his level best to haul the suitcase with all his tiny might. "Do we really go on boats?" He murmured, half to her and half to himself. "That's so cool! Have you ever been on a boat?"

Yeah! Mum told me everyone gets to do it their first year," Sariel grinned, her nose a rosy shade from all the anticipation, "I've been on one before fishing with my Dad." An amplified voice boomed over the milling crowd, instructing older students toward horseless carriages and first years toward the lake which looked like a choppy piece of obsidian in the darkness with lights reflecting from the water. Sariel caught most of what the witch in charge was saying and she glanced to Louis as he tugged along his trunk without a single drop in enthusiasm. "Louis...they said leave the trunk. Drop it and lets go. It will be in your room when we get sorted." She tugged on his sleeve, urging him to drop it.

Louis' eyes widen minutely as he glances towards his trunk, hands releasing it and allowing it to clatter to the ground and obstruct everyone's way as he happily scuttles closer towards Sariel, looking up at her with a beaming smile. "I read that there's a squid in the lake! But, like, a big one." He holds his arms out to show just how big it was, before glancing around. There were so many students! The older ones were kinda scary, being so much taller than him, but he was sure they were good people. His dad always told him there was no such thing as a bad person, just misguided. AND SO HE WOULD BE FRIENDS WITH EVERYONE.

He continued to look around until he spotted Masika in the crowd. Taking Sariel's hand he uses all the strength in his tiny body (which admittedly wasn't much) to bring her over towards their new friend, although he supposed Sariel was also a new friend, but still! Reaching Masika he gives her a happy wave, broad smile permanently in place as he lets go of Sariel to throw both hands up in the air. "Masika! Masika! We get to go on a boat! That's so cool!" He gushes to his friend, before noticing where her gaze was directed. Following her gaze, he looked towards a pale boy with blondish brown hair. He was taller than Louis, but... that wasn't saying much. "Hello!" Louis cries over the hubbub of the departing students. "I'm Louis! Who're you?"

It would be a lie if Hestia had said she wasn't scared. She was a bit apprehensive and nervous, especially about making friends. She'd sat alone on the train ride, unsure of what to say to the other people in her cabin apart from "do you mind if I open the window".

As soon as Hestia stepped off the train with her trunk (which was nearly as tall as her), she speedily headed over to the first year group forming a little distance away. She figured that she should make friends with - or at least talk to - some of the people in her year. After all, they might be in her house in a matter of minutes.

She smiled awkwardly towards a couple of the people stood around, unsure of where to begin. Brushing her red hair away from her freckled face, she pulled the cloak closer around her to prevent the September breeze chilling her. Most of the group was talking already, and Hestia had no intention to interrupt their discussions. Instead, she stood on the outskirts of the group, cautiously looking around the station, occasionally making eye contact with another new student as she listened to the strains of conversation on the afternoon air.

The train ground to a halt aa they arrived. Elena stepped off briskly, trunk in hand as she glanced around. The boats sat peacefully on top of the lake ready to escort them to the castle which stood out. Hogwarts, the school of magic from where many great wizards and witches had passed through. She hoped to be like them one day. A loud voice cut through her imagination and the girl snapped back to reality seeing someone waving them over. A professor, she assumed. There were already a bunch of first years bunched together so the girl hurried over to join the rabble.

She was a bit nervous as she took in the faces. Some of them might be in her house so it was good to get to know her peers while she still had a chance."Hello..."Elena said , her voice a bit shaky to whoever would be closest. The female was still a shy, not really a social person. For the most part, she had kept to herself during the train ride not really interacting. That would have to change here. The others had seemed to get along nicely already talking. That was a skill Elena lacked. She didnt have any friends, her parents had sent her here so she could do something to change her personality and hopefully become that aspiring Auror she so wanted to be.

After her intial greeting, she didnt really say much listening to what the other students were saying. The only thing she was stressing over was her house. Maybe Ravenclaw or Gryffindor? She couldn't see herself in Hufflepuff. Slytherin was another story altogether. If she got sorted into the, who knew what people would say. She'd heard rumours..dark stories. Taking a deep breath to clear her thoughts, she turned her attention to the assumed professor awaiting instruction.

He wasn't one of the last ones off the train, but he had definitely seen Moreland, the other first year he sat with on the Hogwarts Express, get off first. That was fine by the blond haired boy; it wasn't like Daniel was in a rush anyways. Once all the students were off the Express, they'd part their separate way; from what he understood, older students went one way, and the first years went via boat over the Great Black Lake. That was fine. Daniel just had to get a few things...

He pocketed some of the left over Cauldron Cakes from Moreland's trolley and then stepped off finally. A teacher was calling over first years, with quite a crowd already mingling. Soon, very soon, they'd be making their way to Hogwarts and being sorted for the next seven years. He pondered it as he wandered himself towards the group of quickly growing first years. He'd be a face in the crowd.

He saw Moreland, already talking with a rather interesting looking group of people, and turned to avoiding them; it wasn't like Moreland wasn't a bad... acquaintance, he just didn't have the current patience to deal with a ton of people. He glanced around, smirking; ah, Anastasia. She was up near the teacher, and he was tempted to slip towards her and ask if she was already trying to suck up at being a teacher's pet. He figured it wasn't a good idea, though, and just trudged towards her anyways. Nothing wrong with, well, polite egging.

"It's almost time for you not to be put in Slytherin, Beckett. Heart racing, yet? I wonder what the hat'll do when it's finally set on your big head," he stated as he came up besides her. He didn't really care if other first years heard him. Or even the teacher. It wasn't like he really said anything bad - and he knew Anastasia could deal with his words.

tagging anastasia beckett; anyone can jump in, tho. ana you don't have to reply if you don't wanna!

Anastasia was quite filled with awe, which was rather surprising for anyone who knew her. First of all, awe was rather rare for Anatasia since she always had all the answers and was almost completely in control of whatever the situation might be, and second, she'd grown up hearing about all of this.

 It shouldn't have thrilled her quite as much as it did, but she was brimming with joy, and her normally scheming mind was just taking everything in. There'd be time for schemes and making teachers like her and books and all her normal priorities later, right now, she just wanted to commit this moment to memory. The last few minutes of her life before she was officially a Slytherin.


She was yanked out of her bubble of bliss when she heard a familiar, highly irritating voice. She turned over her shoulder, her innocent smile replaced by her normal more catlike one.  "Ah, Danny, I wish I could say that I was pleased to see you, but I'm really not. We both know I'm obviously going to be in Slytherin, and you'll probably be declared a Squib in front of the entire school," Anastasia said, a bit annoyed at his physical closeness. She knew that there were many first years, but of course, her luck had landed her centimeters from Daniel Weaver of all people. 

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the name, but he allowed himself to plaster the sweetest looking, most innocent smile on his face. He enjoyed making Anastasia uncomfortable or annoyed with simply his presence. As she retorted towards him, his blue eyes danced in amusement. Or, at least, the amusement danced within them. He tilted his head thoughtfully as she pointed out she really wasn't glad to see him, and he snorted. "You'd probably do better in the Forbidden Forest with the trolls," Daniel retorted dryly. It was fine with him, anyways. This banter was child's play, and the more they grew up, the more annoying she grew.

But, of course as she retorted to pointing out he could very well be a squib, he snorted. "We both know, Anastasia," and there was that hint of amusement in his voice - the clearly I'm the smarter of us sound - "That if I was a squib, as you say the hat will declare me, I wouldn't be here, now would I? We both know that the Ministry of Magic wouldn't just put my name in the registry of 'children able to go to Hogwarts' if I didn't have any magical capabilities." And he knew what he was saying was true.

But, of course, he couldn't help but rub it in her face. I was smarter than you, Anastasia. Don't you know your own school's lore??

A smirk crept onto his face. If anything, he'd be the winner this round.