First Journey to Hogwarts Open Closed

@Amelia Faye @Gabriella Haworth @Blair Rhodes

[quote]Jessenia was getting very tired from walking around and trying to find an empty compartment. All the compartments that she had knocked on thus far was either already full, or had senior students. This is what she got for allowing her father to lecture her about being well behaved during her time at Hogwarts. It delayed her from getting on the train before eveyone else and now she was struggling to find a place to sit. Jessenia was a generally well behaved girl so she felt that the warnings were unecessary but listened out of respect anyway as she wasn't going to see him for a while.

Her arms were aching now, even though her trunk wasn't particularly heavy due to a spell her father had cast on it, she was not the strongest girl for her age and the weight of the trunk was starting to feel heavier, wearing her down. Purely psychological but she couldn't help it. She knocked on the fifth door, of which she could hear a quiet chatter from inside. She didn't even wait to hear a reply to her knock, due to her screaming arms, and slid the compartment door open. Thankfully this compartment was not full but it did have a lot of girls in it. Luckily, the girls seemed to be first years like her which made her relax. She put the trunk down on the floor.

"I am very sorry to interrupt but I would be ever so grateful if you would allow me sit with you. I have checked everywhere else and I could not, for the life of me, find a place to sit."

Interacting with @Gabriella Haworth @Amelia Faye @Jessenia Vidal

Blair listened intently as Amelia spoke, a small smile always present on her face. "Oh, I'm a half-blood too! My mum is also a witch. She's a Herbologist." Blair said excitedly. She was happy that she had something in common with Amelia and they had something to talk about together. Amelia then asked about House placement, and Blair had to think about it for a moment. She wasn't entirely sure what House she fit into, let alone what House she really wanted. A thoughtful look cross her face, and she looked out the window for a moments to gather her thoughts.

"That's a good question, Amelia. My mum was a Ravenclaw, so I think that perhaps I would like it there. But I also think I would be happy in Hufflepuff." she concluded, nodding knowingly. She simply could not see herself in either of the other two Houses.

Blair looked up as the compartment door slid open once more. Another girl, who looked around their age, stepped in. She looked as if she was tired from carrying her trunk. Blair greeted her with a warm smile. "Yes, yes, you are more than welcome to come and sit with us!" she said enthusiastically.

Gabriella froze when Amelia asked her those questions. Houses? What is a house? I don't know which I want to be in? I don't even know what one is! I should have read my books, then I would know. I should have read my books. ISHOULDHAVEREADMYBOOKSISHOULDHAVEREADMYBOOKS-calm, Gabby. Calm down. She smiled at Amelia. What was it she had said? Hufflepuff. Gabriella decided she would just say the same thing...

Luckily for Gabriella, however, another girl poked her head around the door before she got a chance to say anything. She, too, looked around their age, and she looked fatigued with carrying her heavy trunk. "Hi!" said Gabriella, enthusiastically. "My name's Gabriella, and this is Blair and Amelia." She gestured towards the other two girls.

"We were just talking about our family backgrounds. I'm a muggle-born; they're both half-borns." Half-borns? I think that's how you say it. "What's your family like - if you don't mind my asking, that is..."

Gabriella smiled happily at the compartment. She hadn't been expecting to make any friends this early - and even if these three girls wouldn't become her friends for life, she had at least made some acquaintances already, and - for a girl who had never had any friends before - that was pretty good going, she thought.

Was it truly to Mathias' benefit that he found an open seat in a car of first years among a group of girls quite possibly in his year? Honestly, the boy was uncertain. It did not take him long to realize that there was a gender disparity between witches and wizards, perhaps without realizing the magic gene propagates more readily in women. Perhaps, his heart hastened with trepidation to consider, he was mistakenly sent to an all girl's school. No, that could not be true could it? He was certain he saw a boy about his age somewhere. He ducked his head into the hall, cluttered with luggage rather than people and flanked on either side of the aisle was closed doors.

As seats were a limited commodity, he would make his head inside and grant the girls an apologetic smile. "Excuse me ladies," he side-stepped inside and attempted to awkwardly make his way to the seat still left unoccupied with his long legs. He would simply fold his hands on his lap and look in either direction before he gazed out the window and witnessed the landscape wiz by.

If they had paused their exchange in light of his presence he would make a waving motion with his hand and simply say, "carry on... I was not intending to disturb." He would rather listen to the girls talk than contribute himself. He was curious about the lives of those outside his own limited circle. Curious and concerned.

@Amelia Faye @Blair Rhodes @Gabriella Haworth @Mathias Pride

[quote]Jessenia visibly slumped with relief when a kind-looking light-brown haired girl welcomed her in. "Oh thank you!."Replied Jessenia enthusiastically. Not knowing where the strength came from she almost threw her trunk onto the shelf above before sitting down next to a tall girl with black hair and patted down on her clothes to unwrinkle it.

There was one other girl there as well with long curly hair. She smiled at them all politely. The girl next to her introduced herself and the other girls and briefly explained what they were talking about. She used the term half-born which Jessenia was not sure what she meant by. Did that mean they were mixed with other species? Like half veela? Or was that another term for half-blood that she was not aware of. But the girl referred to herself as muggle-born so its probably the latter. She didn't want to seem dense in front of the other girls and was too shy to ask for clarification. The tall girl, whom Jessenia now knew as Gabriella, also asked if it was okay with Jessenia to tell them about her family.

"Oh I don't mind at all! My name is Jessenia, Jessenia Vidal and I am a pure-blood. I live with my father and my step-mother. My step-mother is a muggle-born." Jessenia said nodding politely towards Gabriella as an indication of 'such as yourself'. "My father works for the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic and my step-mother used to work as a Magizoologist but she now works as an Artist. As for my birth mother she was a Healer."

A young boy came into the compartment at that moment and squeezed his way into the corner. Jessenia smiled and waved at him.

As the pale-faced boy walked in, Gabriella acknowledged him with a nod. "Hi," she said, simply, but the boy didn't show many signs of wanting to join in their conversation.

She turned to the girl who had just walked in - Jessenia, she had said her name was. "That's cool," said Gabriella. "It must be really fun growing up in a house full of wizards..." She sat back, and gazed out of the window as the train moved off.

It must be really fun growing up in a house full of wizards... Suddenly, it struck her that when she was older, she could live in a house full of wizards. Start a family of wizards with some wizard boy. Her kids would go to Hogwarts too. She herself would have to get a wizard job, as she wouldn't be qualified for a Muggle one... she tried to recall what it was Jessenia had said. Healer? Gabriella assumed that was like a wizard doctor. As to what a magizoologist was though, she couldn't imagine. Definitely not something they had in the Muggle world she knew.

"My parents are both teachers," she shrugged, "at a private school. My dad teaches geography, my mum teaches English. I was going to go to that school too - before I got my letter, that is. She hoped these pure-bloods and half-bloods had got a letter too, or whether they had found out in some other way that they were going to Hogwarts - maybe their parents had to sign them up or something - but when they made no sign of confusion about the letter, Gabriella was assured that they, too, had recieved one.

@Blair Rhodes @Amelia Faye @Jessenia Vidal @Mathias Pride

Interacting with @Gabriella Haworth @Blair Rhodes @Jessenia Vidal @Mathias Pride

Amelia sat and listened to Blair and Gabriella talking. They did not get much further in their conversation when a girl, who looked no older than the three of them walked in to their compartment. Amelia smiled at the girl when Blair had invited her in. Amelia had not needed to introduce herself as Gabriella had already done that for her, she nodded when Gabriella had gestured towards her.

Not long after the new girl had got settled down, a boy had walked in. He didn't introduce himself, or talk that much, he just sat down and told them to continue talking. Amelia turned her attention back to the new girl, Jessenia, who had just introduced herself and told them about her family. "You're dad works in the Department of Mysteries, does he?" Amelia asks curiously, "Do you know what he does? I've heard about people who work there, they're called Unspeakables, aren't they? Cause no one knows what they do. My mum told me all about when Harry Potter fought them death eaters in the Department of Mysteries, that would've been really wicked. But scary." Amelia was slightly curious about why Jessenia had said her mother 'was' a healer, but she decided not to say anything on the matter as they had only just met a few moments prior and it most likely would've been invading her privacy too much.

"You're a muggle-born?" she turned to Gabriella, "This must be all really exciting and scary for you. I mean, more scary than it is for the rest of us." she laughed.

Amelia then addressed the boy who had still not introduced himself since he walked into the compartment, "Who're you?" she asks him, not intending to sound rude but it could've possibly came across that way.

Word count: 297

Who are you?

One of the girls had asked. He had failed to get her name in the flurry of introductions that were taking place.

This appeared to be a social exchange that involved developing a pecking order. Blood and wealth, prestige and class. "Pureblood also," he announced in a soft voice with a meek expression. Yes, he mentioned his lbood before his name. "But I have to admit, I am a bit overwhelmed by the... vastness of it all," he breathed, a comment meant to coincide with Amelia's previous. "I have to admit," he glanced at the girls housed within the enclosed space. "You ladies are taking this change... well."

"Mathias Pride," his name held more weigh than it was truly worth. A name, only a bit delayed. An unfortunate symptom of his pedigree one might say. "My parents both work for the Ministry," just not in high-ranking or flashy jobs so he would fail to mention their specific vocation. "There is not much to say really," he shrugged as he glanced out the window. They were moving quickly over the countryside, he wondered where they were in relation to their destination.

No, this would not do. Not at all.

Be engaging. Talkative.

"Any aspirations for a house?" he asked after a pause that fent like an eternity but it was no more than a few moments. He expected to find himself in Ravenclaw like many members of his family including his maternal cousin. "I personally do not have any preference," he lied. Of course he had a preference, not for which one he wanted but rather which one he did not want. The brave Gryffindor, the community-minded and hard-working Hufflepuff or the ambitious and cunning Slytherin. "I could see myself as a Hufflepuff I suppose," picking the meekest of houses to proclaim. Was that part of his cunning nature showing through? Quite possibly, not that he was naturally aware of it yet. This compulsion to try to put others at ease, to lower their guard.

@Gabriella Haworth @Amelia Faye @Jessenia Vidal @Mathias Pride

Blair sat politely, nodding as each girl spoke and explained more about their family. She was very interested in what everyone had to say, as she liked to learn more about what it was like to truly live in the wizarding world. She thought it would also be terrifying to come from a Muggle background and suddenly be thrown into a whole new world and a whole new place.

All of a sudden, the compartment door opened once more. A boy, who once again seemed to be around their age, stepped in. He did not say much, and he sat by the window and told them to continue their conversation. Before she could say anything, Amelia asked him who he was. She listened as he introduced himself. He seemed like he was very laid-back.

"Hello, Mathias. My name is Blair." she said, smiling kindly. "I don't really have a House preference, but I suppose I could see myself in either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw." she told him, thinking carefully. She smiled again, looking out the window for a moment and watching the grass and the trees fly by. The compartment had become quite crowded, and she was enjoying the conversation with the group.

Oh no, thought Gabriella. The conversation has turned to houses again. Luckily, in their conversation, the other first-years in her compartment had already mentioned a few houses, so she decided she should just pick one. "Being Muggle-born, I don't know that much," she said, gesturing towards Amelia, who had mentioned how exciting and scary it must be, "but from the stuff I've managed to pick up, I think... Huffleduff... would be the best choice for me.

PleasedearLordtellmethat'sahouse, she thought to herself, over and over again. Huffleduff...Huffleduff... something about it didn't seem right to her. But what else could she do? You have to fake it till you make it!

"So..." She tried to say something that sounded like she had actually opened a school book over the summer. She hadn't, of course, but she was sure she could think up something... Classes! Of course! It was a school, so it had to have classes. "What classes are you looking forward to the most?" she asked. "I think I'm looking forward to all of them - after Muggle school, this must be so different..." She decided she was faking her knowledge well. Good move, Gabby, she said to herself. Pretending you like all of them. Now you won't have to pick a particular one.