First Journey to Hogwarts Open Closed

"Oh... Well, I guess I could try and make technology work anyway. My dad always said I had a way with electronics..." She was genuinely disappointed that technology wouldn't work in Hogwarts. 'At least not without a lot of adjustments,' she privately thought. She was determined she could make her tablet and laptop work there, even if it meant taking up hours of free time. 'I could try and tinker with the motherboard system a bit... if that doesn't work, maybe when I've learned enough magic I can try and merge the two.'

Turning to her attention to the others again, she said, "How'd you guys discover you could do magic? Unless you guys," gesturing towards those from wizarding families, "unless you guys could do magic from birth." At that, an image of a baby making its crib teleport around the room randomly popped into her head, and she laughed inwardly.

"For me, I'd just moved to Manchester, and this child on the playground got angry at me because everyone was asking me about Guyana, I figured it was because nobody was paying attention to him. He decided to start chucking rocks at me, and yelling mean things, and I was confused and angry and sort of caught off-guard, you know?
"Anyways, he threw a particularly rough-edged one at the side of my face, and I remember it feeling really warm, and then there was blood when I checked it. Anyways, that was it for me, and I usually don't yell, at all, but he was being really horrible, and I yelled at him while crying and hiding my face in my hands at the same time, but then I heard him screeching, and I looked up, and he had the very same rocks being rained over his head. He told the teachers I was an evil witch and I made it rain rocks on his head, but they didn't believe him since I was bleeding, and he didn't have a scatch, and it's impossible for an eight-year-old to make it rain rocks anyway. At least so they thought," taking a deep breath.
"But then I got really fascinated by what had happened, so I started experimenting. I tried getting myself angry, then thinking of strange things happening while I was still angry. I only ever managed to make a cup levitate a couple centimeters off the table, though, or on purpose anyways. Everything else happened by complete accident."

She quieted down again, then apologised for talking so much, her face turning a deep red. She laughed it off but stayed silent for a solid few minutes. 'If there's one thing you can do, Natalia, it's definitely talk. Way too much.' She was inwardly scolding herself.

Jessenia had pulled out a photograph, and said that wizards had cameras and photographs too. The photograph she was showing them was what she turned her attention to now. Except... the photograph was moving, on its own! It actually reminded her of a video on loop, except this wasn't on a device, there weren't any pixels that lit up to show the movements, this was on a regular piece of camera roll paper. She was amazed, just plain amazed. "Whoah.." was all she could say, while question after question appeared in her mind. 'How does it move, really? Do drawings move too, or is it just photographs? Is the film roll paper magical, or is the camera magical? Will we get to have magical cameras of our own? Whowhatwherewhenwhy?' Her mind was a jumble of utterly random ideas at the best of times, but right now, there was only one word to describe it. Chaos. But she was determined to give the others a chance to speak as well, so she kept her mouth shut and decided to ask Jessenia the millions of questions she had later. Her thoughts returned, once again, to technology.

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

Interacting with @Gabriella Haworth @Blair Rhodes @Mathias Pride @Jessenia Vidal @Natalia Moonflurry @Alena Het

A new girl had walked in to the compartment and took the last available seat near the window, she had introduced herself as Natalia. Amelia smiled at her and watched as she took out a drawing tablet from her knapsack, Amelia recognized muggle technology from her father but she never had anything of the sort herself. The young witch chose to stay quiet for a while and just enjoyed listening to the conversation happening between Gabriella, Natalia and Jessenia, they were discussing the drawing tablet Natalia had and how photographs worked in the wizarding world. While they were talking, another girl walked in. She had a thick Russian accent whilst speaking, Amelia turned towards her and addressed her, "Hello!" she smiled, "Well we are pretty full right now," she said, gesturing to everyone else in the compartment, "but I'm sure you can find a place to squeeze in?" she offered, not wanting the girl to feel left out.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure muggle technology doesn't work at Hogwarts. There isn't really a need for it anyway, since we have owls to send letters to people and you'll probably be very busy with the work that you wouldn't even have time to use your drawing tablet." Amelia told Natalia, agreeing with Jessenia who said technology doesn't work at Hogwarts due to the magic there.

Natalia had asked everyone how they found out they were a witch or wizard, "My mum's a witch so I pretty much knew ever since she told me that I was a witch too but I first truly found out when I was about 7 years old and some girl was being really rude to me. Naturally, I got very upset, because who wouldn't if someone kept being rude to you for literally no reason? Anyways, she was holding a glass of water in her hand at the time and I was so upset that I actually made the glass explode!" Amelia exclaimed, throwing her head back and laughing, she was reminiscing on the memory that proved she was a witch for the first time. "She was extremely shocked, but I was just laughing because I wasn't expecting it but I also was, you know? My mum had told me that your first instance of magic would probably be when someone made you really angry or upset. So yeah, that's basically how the universe confirmed that I was indeed a witch." Amelia finished her story and bowed, acting like she had just recited something that was worthy of being Shakespeare. She straightened up again and groaned, "Okay, but who else is starving? Because I think I'm about to collapse of starvation." That was definitely an exaggeration.

Word count: 451

Another girl would make their way into the compartment. This would only add to the boy's shifting sense of insecurity. He would nod politely of course and don a neutral smile. Just because there was blood, that did not mean that there was security or confidence. The girls were interested in either Hufflepuff or 'any' house, safe answers that really did not tell Mathias much about any of them. Their families seem to play a more relevant role than anything out. A simple, quiet observation he made and nothing more.

"Muggle studies," he would shrug after a moment of contemplation. To most, a discussion about culture, science and political affiliation of a people he would never come into contact with more than in passing seemed useless and in a number of ways it in fact was. Yet he found it foolish to ignore when he could learn from his muggle neighbors.

A few of them were muggles, well first generation wizards. An unfortunate lot really, being thrust into a world that they knew nothing of. He wondered what providence or effort gave them the magic that they now wielded. Not that he would say anything as they talked about drawing pads and wondered if their technology worked. "Electrical devices malfunction in the presence of magic," he confirmed. "But if something was brought with you... this technology, I would love to... see it>" His request had the intonation of a question. Perhaps it was a foolish or a rude request.

His eyed laid on this tablet. Apparently a device that is used to both draw and...not draw. He wanted to handle it, to... experience the 'power' of muggles and their science. However, his request would not be fulfilled, even if the girl seemed willing. There were only six seats in this compartment and a seventh would arrive. She looked about their age and uncertainty. A heavy accent he was unfamiliar with, she would ask hello can I?. Presumably can she join them, but there was no space. None, unless he was willing to share. "Yes," he replied as he stood up. "Take my seat and enjoy your journey," he announced with a quiet politeness and a gesture of his hand to indicate that his seat was hers to take.

He would vacate the compartment, standing room only would only make things awkward being the only boy in that part of the car. "But it was a pleasure to meet all of you," he claimed.

Leaving Thread.

Gabriella stared after Mathias as he exited the compartment. He had said very little; it seemed to Gabriella that he had never spoken to anyone his age before, and she felt bad for him. His parents were both wizards, he had said, working for the Ministry - whatever that was. But the Ministry sounded important - perhaps his parents were too busy to let him talk to other kids? Or maybe that was just Mathias' general personality? Who could say; she had known Mathias for all of ten minutes and he really hadn't said much.

Instead of dwelling on Mathias' early exit, Gabriella decided to draw her attention to Natasha's drawing tablet, which seemed to be the centre of attention at the minute. She felt quite important to know all about technology like Natasha did - although out in the world, she was very much in the majority, here, she realised, she was a minority, and she had begun to quite enjoy that since Natasha had walked in. I wonder how long that will last, she thought to herself. Probably not long, once I start classes and realise everyone's better than me.

"My mum has a drawing tablet like that," she said, joining in the conversation. She let me use it a bit. I love to draw too, but usually I just use paper."

The conversation had turned to their first instances of magic, and Gabriella decided she ought to share hers too - not that there was any specific occasion that could be considered her first, of course.

"I have this irritating tendency to shatter glass," she explained, "when I'm angry with people." She giggled a bit, though this was hardly a subject to giggle about. "Once, when I was seven visiting my auntie Melanie in America, I accidentally smashed her window, and she banished us from her house! She never got on too well with my mum. Anyway, we got to stay in a fancy 5-star hotel for the rest of our trip, which was much nicer than Melanie's place anyway, so I can't complain."

She knew she shouldn't really be proud of that moment, but she was anyway. Jacob was too much for Melanie anyway, she reasoned with herself. All that crying - he was only three, after all. She was probably just waiting for an excuse to be rid of us.

@Gabriella Haworth @Amelia Faye @Jessenia Vidal @Natalia Moonflurry @Alena Het

Blair stared at the drawing tablet with amazement. Despite having a Muggle father, he had never been particularly into technology. They had a television, and telephones, but she had never seen anything quite like this. She was very excited, as drawing and art were things that she enjoyed doing. "Oh, wow! That is so cool! I love drawing. Perhaps we could draw together sometime!" she said to Natalia excitedly, beaming at the girl.

She looked up from her wonder at the drawing tablet as another girl made her way into the compartment. She had a heavy accent, and Blair wasn't quite sure what it was. She watched as Mathias left the compartment to let the new girl take his seat. "Hello! I'm Blair." she said with a smile, turning to listen in on the conversation about how everyone had discovered they had magical abilities.

She gasped as Gabriella told the story about shattering her aunt's window. "Oh wow, that must have been scary!" she said, laughing a bit as Gabriella did. "For me, we have a family cat named Kitten. One day, when I was playing with him, I accidentally turned him blue! My dad couldn't believe his eyes!" she said with a smile. She remembered that time fondly, as she cherished all the time she spent with her father.

@Amelia Faye @Alena Het @Blair Rhodes @Natalia Moonflurry @Gabriella Haworth

[quote]Jessenia just blinked as Mathias made a quick exit. It was a shame as she was planning to ask about his parents but she assumed she could ask him when she saw him around Hogwarts later. She smiled at the new girl who had come in and introduced herself. "Hiya, My name is Jessenia pleased to meet you." she said.

Everyone was explaining their first instance of magic and Jessenia listened intently. She gasped when Natalia said that someone had thrown a rock at her. What a ghastly child. and she was glad when Natalia said they had gotten their comeuppance. Jessenia laughed with Amelia when she explained about how a hateful girl that was being mean to her also had her karma. Gabriella also had a glass-breaking incident. She wondered if there was a reason for that commonality. Was it to do with the emotions affecting the frequency of their magic. She needed to read up more on this.

Blair's first magical instance was rather cute. She tried to imagine the look of her own father's face if she had ever turned anything blue by accident and giggled. She coughed when she realised it was her turn to speak. "Oh...well my first instance of magic happened when I was about 5 or 6..." Started Jessenia racking her brain back to her memory. "One day, I was playing in my backgarden and I saw a bird's nest full of squabs. But then I saw a squirrel approaching the nest and it slashed at one of the squabs. I felt really sad and scared for the babies and remember feeling my heart racing, wishing with all my might I could protect them. Next thing I knew I was on the same branch of the bird nest shooing away the squirrel. I stuck close to the nest and stayed there to protect the squabs in case the squirrel came back to hurt them." Said Jessenia remembering how scared she felt for those poor little birds. "I'm not sure how long I was up there for but after a while I heard my father and step-mother hysterically calling out my name trying to find me. I called out to them and explained what happened and my father said I most likely apparated there from sheer fear for the birds' lives." said Jessenia.

They had to end up raising the squabs domestically after that incident as the birds had Jessenia's scent on them and the mother refused to come back to them. Jessenia had felt really guilty about that but her father had told her that had she not protected them, it would have been a whole lot worse. Jessenia remembered her young self contemplating if that was why her own mother abandoned her, because she had a weird smell to her. She asked her step-mother about that who had enveloped her into a hug and reassured her that that was not the case. That Jessenia's mother leaving was no fault of her own...Jessenia brought her attention back to the girls when she had realised she had gotten quiet and was lost in her own memories.

"Sorry, just got a bit lost there." she said and smiled brightly at them.

When she saw the boy, she nodded at him. The boy jumped up from his seat.
- Sit in my seat and enjoy your journey.
After saying that, he jumped out of the compartment and said goodbye.
This surprised the girl. Are there no more seats in the whole train?
- Hi, I'm Alena. - the girl introduced herself in response.
She felt very uncomfortable. It was as if she had kicked someone out with her presence. But there's nowhere to go. She sat down in the empty seat. Everyone was talking about something different, so she just decided to read it. The girl took out a thick red book without a title from her bag. Still, she couldn't help but overhear their conversation.
"The Muggle technique won't work?" She thought indignantly. "How do I get in touch with my mother?" With Phil's help? Well, no! I don't trust that old owl with my letters.
Soon the dialogue turned the other way. Everyone started discussing how they first used magic. She didn't listen any further. After all, what's the point?
- "They have their own group. I can't just start talking, can I? They might not like it."
As she flipped through the book, she didn't focus at all on what was written there. She was used to being alone.
And I think I understood why the boy decided to leave.
- Видимо ему было неуютно.(He was obviously uncomfortable.) - Accidentally she whispered aloud. need to get used to speaking English. Despite the fact that she lived for many years in London, she could not get used to it.
Closing the book, she realized how loud the train was going.

Natalia waved goodbye to Mathias and assured him he could use her tablet at Hogwarts if she figured out how to make it work in spite of the magic. To the blonde-haired girl who'd introduced herself as Alena, she said, "Hello, Alena! I'm Natalia, and these are Jessenia, Gabriella, Blair and Amelia." She gave her a warm smile. After that she lapsed back into silence, scribbling absentmindedly on her tablet as she listened to the other girls.
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Natalia had been quiet for a long time, just listening to the other girls as they shared their first instances of magic. She ddin't notice at first that Alena seemed a bit scared to speak, But after a while she realised, so to let her know it was alright, she asked, "What about you? What was it like your first time?" in a soft voice, giving her a reassuring smile. She waited patiently for Alena to speak.
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'Hmm...' She wasnt paying attention to the other girls at all anymore. She was speaking in her mind very rapidly, considering and weighing options on how she could get her technology to work. 'Quite honestly,’ she thought to herself, 'I’m taking this way too seriously, I guess… let’s see… I could alter the motherboard of the laptop itself, to keep the frequency of magic from completely frying the inner more delicate mechanisms, but then I probably wouldn’t be able to get anything through the internet since the magic could probably still interrupt the frequency of the signal from there to the router. For that, I’d need an Energy Monitor shield installed… wait a minute!’ “An Energy Monitor shield! That's it!” She said that last bit in a sort of overly excited whisper-yell. Calming down, she explained, “An energy monitor shield, or EMS, is a software which is basically an electromagnetic shield. It works by blocking outside frequencies and is used in highly electromagnetic areas on devices, to keep the high electromagnetic frequency from damaging the inner workings of a device. In theory, it should block out the magical frequency and at the same time create a doorway for internet traffic, so I’ll be able to send things over the internet as well as my laptop working. I should be able to create one by adding modifying this” as she held up a software chip “and adding it to the system motherboard, installing the corresponding software, and linking the shield to my drawing tablet!” She was bursting with excitement. “You know what, it’ll take some time, so I’ll get started right away.” With that, she said nothing more, but pulling her laptop out of her knapsack, she plugged in the software chip and began to speedily type, her fingers seeming to fly over the keyboard as she programmed the chip.

@Amelia Faye @Alena Het @Blair Rhodes @Jessenia Vidal @Gabriella Haworth