The Train Ride to Hogwarts

Date: September 1, 2025 Location: Hogwarts Express Outfit: x

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Dialogues - #3c5d4c WC: 212 words Mentions: @Aldric Thorne

Amalie wasn't the sort of person who made friends easily, nor was she one to talk much, but something about Aldric made her feel like he was a kindred spirit and feel at ease. She was also very pleased at his appreciation of her father's amazing culinary skills, or rather the smell of it.

"Umm this is croque monsieur, a French speciality and my favourite sandwich. It actually translates to "Mister Crunch." And, uhh... these are macarons," she said, taking out a long, rather narrow box. " Also, a French speciality. In case it isn't obvious enough, I'm actually half French; my papa is from there. I, uh, baked them yesterday. And the shells came out rather flat. They usually come out perfectly, but I was rather impatient yesterday and turned off the oven too early. They, uh, still taste good. I think..." she finished, cheeks flushed from embarassment and held out the sandwich and box of macarons towards Aldric.

She hoped she hadn't made a decision she would regret. She had baked the macarons yesterday, to leave them as a goodbye present to her parents. She'd been experimenting with a variety flavours; raspberry, vanilla with a hint of lemon, peach, pistachio, and chocolate. Her personal favourite was the vanilla and lemon.

Aldric smiled as he took the macaroons and the sandwich. He bit into the sandwitch first and His eyes grew wide. He didn't realize how hungry he was. His first thought was about the cheese. He felt it stretch on his tongue and it tasted excellent. Then he noticed the ham on the inside. SCRUMPTIOUS! He looked at her and smiled.

Then he looked over the macarons, and picked one up. He bit into it and almost dropped it in delight. It tasted delicious (vanilla) and it was the best thing he had ever eaten, and he couldn't believe that this wasn't made by a professional. Then he realized, SHE WAS THE PROFESSIONAL ! He looked up at her with amazed eyes.

"This," He started "is the best thing I have ever tasted!"

He munched on it some more before he grabbed a few more. The macrons carried many tastes, his favorite being vanilla, lemon, and chocolate. and he loved them all.

"Its so cool your from France" he finally said. "I'm from around here, England I mean . Its so cool your father has such an interesting job. Do you eat food like this all the time?"

200 words

Date: September 1, 2025 Location: Hogwarts Express Outfit: x

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Dialogues: #3c5d4c | Thoughts: #167515 WC: 264 words Mentions: @Aldric Thorne

Amalie was relieved that he made no comment about the macaron's outer appearance, but the boy had probably never seen one before, let alone eaten one, to compare. She watched Aldric's face carefully as he bit into the macarons, half-expecting a grimace, but it never came. Instead, she felt pleased as she noticed his eyes light up, and her face flushed lightly at his comment, "I'll take that as a compliment. I'm glad you like them." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, feeling rather self-conscious at the enthusiasm.

Here, at last, was someone who appreciated her baking without dwellling on how it looked.
I must never do something so stupid again. Papa did tell me to be patient; it would have been ready in just seven more minutes. Oh well, I've learnt my lesson now.

"I'm not actually from France," she added after a moment. "We just go there every summer to visit my father's side of the family. My father's the real professional; I guess I just picked some stuff over time. "

Her gaze drifted briefly to the passing scenery outside before returning to him.

"And no, not really. I think that would get tiring very quickly," she said with a faint laugh. "We usually have French cuisine only once or twice a week. It's usually just... the classic English food most days."

Now she was starting to feel awkward at all the attention being directed towards her, so she gently nudged it in the opposite direction. "What about you?" she asked. "Has your family always come from England?"

OOC: Omg I'm so sorry for my very very late response I've been having exams irl and I was focusing on that.... Most of the time I login to H.io I spend recoding my ency. Again, my sincere apologies for my tardiness.

"Yes, My family has always lived in England." Aldric replied "My family owns a large manor called the Thorne Manor. Our family has lived there since... forever. "

Aldric smiled as he pictured his home. He pictured the dark green walls with the lush forest around them. He remembered all the times he had played in the trees as a kid, and how he found so many cool plants there.

“The Thorne Manor has been in the family since my great ancestor Archmage Thorne started it ”he explained. “He built in near the forest, because he loved plants, just like me.”

He remembered his parents telling stories of the great Archimage Thorne. He was the one who started the family off on a successful way. He built the Mansion with his own hands and he was the one who started the family vault. He taught his children to be kind, respectful, and helpful, lessons that have passed down from generation to generation until now.

He looked out of the window, and looked at the beautiful blue sky. He remembered looking up at the sky just yesterday from the comfort of his own home. Now he was on the way to Hogwarts, starting the adventure with a kind person that he had met by accident. It was almost like... magic.

" I love writing and reading." he said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Sorry, what I meant that was my hobby. That and planting. What are your hobbies, other than baking?"

Word Count 250

OOC: That is totally OK. I have also been kind of distracted by life a little bit., so totally OK

Date: September 1, 2025 Location: Hogwarts Express Outfit: x

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Dialogues: #3c5d4c | Thoughts: #167515 WC: 388 words Mentions: @Aldric Thorne

Amalie listened quietly as Aldric spoke about his home, her attention fixed on him with genuine interest. The way he described Thorne Manor made it sound less like a cold mansion and more like a warm memory.

"That's cool! My maternal family has always lived in Eastern England, which is why my parents also settled in Chelmsford. But, Papa, of course is the first of his lineage to live in England,"

As she spoke, flashes of memories surfaced in her mind. She recalled the Hughes family manor and all the times she had tumbled down the stairs or scratched her knee on the driveway as she raced Adrian and her cousins, Olivia and Millie, trying in vain to beat them with her little legs. The endless scoldings were ignored by the children despite countless warnings from the adults.

Then her thoughts drifted towards home — the two-storey building constructed in the style of French architecture, surrounded by its lush meadows that housed the stable of her beloved horse. She would miss the sound of the wind blowing at night, the rays of sunshine creeping in through her windows to wake her, the familiar din of the morning rush, the calm evenings as the sun bid adieu for the day. She would miss the calm moments when her family gathered on the terrace speaking of trivial things, the comfort of curling up in her armchair with a book to read before bed, the affectionate bedtime embraces she still received from her parents despite her half-hearted protests. Oh she was going to miss home very much.

"I can't say I've ever been much of a plant lover," she admitted with a light laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing. "I'm more of an indoor kid, honestly. I love reading and baking. I'm quite good at archery as well. I love astronomy — though mostly the stargazing part rather than the endless charts and calculations. And horse riding too. I have a horse back at home called Moonbeam..." she trailed off, hesitating slightly. She was suddenly aware that she had been speaking far more than usual. Her gaze lowered towards her hands.

"Sorry," she murmured quietly with an embarrassed smile. "I think I might be oversharing a little. I tend to talk too much when I'm nervous."

That is totally fine.” Aldric responded. “I don’t blame you for being nervous.”

Aldric remembered how nervous he was. This was the first time he had ever gone to Hogwarts. He knew that they must be getting close, and that only made him more nervous.

He looked out the window. The trees had a beutiful color to them and he smiled. He realized he had smiled a lot. He stopped smiling. Then he looked at Amalie. He smiled again. He was so exited and happy he got to start this adventure with her.

Aldric Remembered his brothers first time on the Hogwarts express. He at explained it to Aldric as “Meeting friends ill have for a lifetime.” Aldric smiled at the truth of the statemment. He knew he would never forget Amalie, and he hoped he would be able to make more friends at Hogwarts. Hogwarts! He couldn’t believe it. He remembered His brothers first telling him about the first year schedule.

“Due to the fact that you love Astronomy, That must be The class that you are most exited for, right?” He asked.

He knew that He was most exited for Herbology, and he was determined to get Os and Es all through it.

Word count:205