September 1st, 2019

This was it. The day Birdie had been looking forward to since she could speak. She had barely been able to sleep the previous night, dreaming of what her future at Hogwarts would be like.
And now was she was here. Sitting in a booth by herself. Birdie had always been a very confident child, well-liked by her siblings, cousins and neighbors. But this was her first time interacting with kids she didn't know. And there were a lot of them. She had to admit that this gave her a bit of anxiety, a feeling she had only previously felt exploring the dark forest near her house, or that time she went up into the attic all on her own.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked back at her family one last time. Her parents and her sisters were still smiling and waving at her. That made her a tad less nervous. Maybe sitting alone wasn't all that bad. It would give her time to pull herself together, and maybe even do some studying.
Before she even knew it the train started driving, and the lump in her throat appeared once again. She felt so stupid, why did she decide to sit alone?! She stood up and took her trunk out, from the cabinet above her seat. She opened it and pulled out her History of Hogwarts book. She had already read it multiple times, in anticipation. She put her trunk back, and started reading her book.
Suddenly, she was interrupted by a person opening the door. She didn't know if she was thankful or annoyed.
"Hi. Are you looking for a place to sit?"

[font=times new roman]Mother had picked up a shift at the local pub for the day, she was needing to work extra shifts to cover the cost of supplies of this new school of his. Zykeal wasn't much a fan of this, it was evident as he stood there on the platform alone, not even bothering to look out at the other kids. As typical of him, he was dressed still in his normal attire, what wizards would call his muggle one; Ripped black skinny jeans, pair of old dark red DC Nyjah's, black shirt and a dark red beanie. Most people would just sum Zyk up to be another skater kid.

That's essentially what he was before all this happened to him, this nonsense, or what he believed to be nonsense at the moment. When that owl came, he figured it was just another elaborate scam to get his mother's money, what little there was, away from the family. Even now, as he had walked through a wall to get to the platform and boarded a train to lead him to a school of magic, he was just waiting for that moment someone came up and asked him for all his family's money. At this point he had looked very briefly into some of the books he had acquired over the summer, it took him just a little reading to figure that he was going to be placed in the house of Slytherin (although this wasn't to be the case).

Shifting his way past the excited peers around him, pushing their way along the narrow train carts and moving from one room to the next, he couldn't help but get annoyed and shift a forearm into the next person who bumped into him and planted them against the window of the train as he moved forward towards the end of the cart. Those dark golden hues didn't even shift up to see who was somewhat forcefully moved aside, just a little "oof" was heard before he had quickly moved his way along. When the cart seemed to get a little quieter, he decided that these compartments on the end would at least be a place for him to go unnoticed, maybe even hideout if that previous student he shoved went and told someone on him.

A hand shifted the compartment door open, one he randomly selected and there sat a girl with a book in her hand, before he could attempt to close the door and look for another compartment, the girl had spoken up, "Ah, sure look it," he said in a soft Dublin accent. Zykeal would step into the compartment and shift his way over towards the window, careful not to bump into the girl and her book that she was reading. Settling himself down upon the compartments chair opposite of the girl, he let his body slump to the side against the window, and his beanie on his forehead rest against the wall, watching the view as the train moved along. Those eyes darted over towards the girl after a moment, studying her, wondering if she also was thinking that she was about to get scammed out of money.

Interacting with @Birdie Spindlewheel and Open

What a genius idea, Callie thought as she hauled her bag through the slim halls of the Hogwarts Express. Bringing a suitcase with no wheels. she pulled with all her strength, arms tired from hauling the bag. Why had her mum have to insist to use a suitcase? It just made the whole situation harder. She had tried to act all sad about leaving, but honestly, she wasn't all that upset. She couldn't wait to get away from her annoying little brother, and her strict mother who always tried to make life harder for her. The only person she was going to miss was her dad, and it wasn't like she had any friends back home.

As she dragged her suitcase down the hall, which was empty. All the kids had already ran off to their compartments. Callie wanted to be early to get her own spot, but apparently, her brother wouldn't let that happen. She looked into the compartments as she passed by. Each were already full. She groaned. Now she'd actually have to talk to people.

Finally, she came across a compartment that didn't look as bad. Inside were two others, who both seemed like first years. They didn't seem to be talking that much, so Callie figured she could just sit there and read the whole time, maybe think a bit about her future at Hogwarts. Perfect.

She put her suitcase down in order to open the door. "Phew, that suitcase sure is heavy," she said to herself. It didn't seem like a lot when she was packing back home. Just a few clothes, books, her guitar. "Oh," she said. She took a deep breath. It was the first day of Kindergarten all over again. She opened the door slightly, poking her head in.

"Hiya, don't suppose this is full?" she asked, which seemed stupid, of course it wasn't full. Though, maybe they were reserving it or something.

Open to interactions
Mentions: @Zykeal Lane, @Birdie Spindlewheel

Birdie had always cared a lot about the way she carried herself. She had a desperate need to be respected, and well-liked. She had also always expected from the stories her parents used to tell her, that the people she would meet on the Hogwarts Express, would be the people she would stick with. However, sitting in front of the ginger boy with the Irish accent, she struggled to start a conversation. She even felt a bit shy, an emotion she didn't often feel.

He looked like the type of person, her parents would normally warn her against. With his ripped jeans, and casual clothing, he was everything that she was not. Still, she was a bit intrigued.
However, it was only when a second person joined the compartment, she decided to put her History Of Hogwarts book aside. This time, it was a girl much taller than her, with brown hair and dark brown eyes.
"Hiya, don't suppose this is full?" She asked. Birdie shook her head, and motioned for her to sit down.
She straightened her back, and tried to appear confident for the two people in front of her.
"So... What house do you guys think you're going to be sorted into?" Birdie asked. "Oh, where are my manners? I apologize. I'm Birdie." She said, forcing a smile.

@Calypso Aretez @Zykeal Lane

Sorry for late reply!

[font=times new roman]Not long after he had settled himself down, another had entered the compartment. Golden hues shifted towards the door as a girl decided to slide open the door with a large suitcase and made her way in. The newcomer had said her greeting, Zyks head would cant to the side as he inspected her for a moment. A small nod of his head would be given in greeting before he shifted his head back to stare out of the window for the moment. It wasn't until the girl in front of him with her book decided to speak up that he figured it was time to pay attention to his surroundings more than he currently was.

The question the girl in front of him asked was one he hadn't thought about too much, in all honesty, when he skimmed through some of the books that he had over the summer, he figured he'd be in Slytherin. Now though, he didn't have a clue. Expressing this thought, he'd say, "Notta' clue," as he turned his head to keep those eyes of his upon the girl who asked the question for a moment. A hand was raised and a two-finger salute was given across the tip of his brow as she introduced herself, "Zyk," was said in return, shifting his gaze towards the girl who had yet to take her seat. There wasn't much that was "polite" about him, he was casual to the core and his deminer wasn't as much hostile, but, guarded.

A shrug of his shoulders was given then and he decided to state his opinion on the whole idea of going to this school, "Me moms' thinks this is a real school or something, I think it's a scam to get what little money my family has," he said with a little hesitation, he honestly thought that this was just some ploy to get money out of his mother. Zyk had no doubt that his mother was normal, his father, on the other hand, he had no idea as that man had left his life long before he could form a solid memory. In this way, Zykeal wasn't aware of the magical world.

Interacting with @Birdie Spindlewheel and @Calypso Aretez

"Great! I'll settle myself down then," she said, pushing open the door. She hauled her heavy suitcase into the open space and sat down next to the girl.

She stared at the two. The girl to the right of her seemed quiet, dark brown hair and blue eyes. The boy across from her didn't seem eager to strike a conversation either. By the way he dressed, he looked like one of those kids who always bullied Callie back home, always getting in trouble and marked by parents all around as a "bad influence."

She plunged her hands into the pockets of her jacket, which covered the wizard robes her mother insisted she wore. She was about to lay back, maybe pull out her journal, when the girl finally started to speak. Callie wasn't one to socialize, but after all, she would be spending 7 years here, and having friends could be resourceful. Her father always said, "don't mess up the family's reputation!" and he said it so many times Callie could vividly picture him saying it.

"Slytherin, not a doubt about it," she nodded proudly. She wasn't actually sure she would get into Slytherin. But she was determined to, or else she'd be cast out of the family or something. Her mother said it was okay, but she still couldn't stop thinking about it.

The girl and the boy introduced themselves, properly, so she figured she would too. "Callie," she muttered. "I'm Callie," she offered a small smile to make it less awkward.

Then, the boy started talking. Callie almost wanted to laugh. But it would seem rude. Plus, she got what he was feeling, being not raised in the magical world, or at least, not raised being aware of the magical world. "Oh, no, not at all. This school is definitely real. Besides, they don't even ask for muggle money, just wizard money. I know it does sound fake, but, trust me, it's real. I've seen magic a lot, and my parents have told me so many stories. My whole family has. I don't think they'd send their child here making them think it's real. What's the point of it? But trust me, it's real," she assured him. She hadn't realized how far down she had scooted off her seat, she didn't realize talking about Hogwarts would do such a thing. She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear and sat back down, head against the chair.

Mentions: @Zykeal Lane, @Birdie Spindlewheel
Interacting with: @Zykeal Lane, @Birdie Spindlewheel

Elspeth had only one trunk of her own belongings that her father was dutifully pushing beside her. She'd told him that she could carry it herself, but he insisted in a way that let her know he was holding back tears and she didn't want to make him cry. She was already feeling so many things, if he cried in front of her there was no way that she wouldn't cry and then that would be the first impression everyone would have of her as she entered the train. Although her mother had told her father about all of the first year traditions at Hogwarts, he was still overwhelmed at both the sights and the realization that Elspeth was already leaving home.

As they pulled up near the train, Elspeth looked around. She didn't know anyone else who was coming, so she wasn't quite sure what she was looking for. A sign of some sort - this is where you're supposed to go! She'd never so much as had a sleepover away from her family, save one time when she stayed with her grandmother while her parents went to London to sort out some kind of tax situation. Her dad began to push the trolley toward a door when she reflexively held out her arm. "Wait!" Her dad looked back at her, confused. "Um, honey I think you're supposed to load up the train here." He craned his head back and forth, gazing toward the front and back half expecting a line of floating trunks to appear. She shuffled beside him and opened it up, pulling out a notebook and pen before closing it again. "Want to have something to do on the train... d'you think it'll be a long trip?"

A bright voice chimed in behind her, "Oh Elspy, you are going to have the most amazing time at Hogwarts! The train ride is beautiful, the trip to the castle amazing. Oh! And you'll get to be a part of the sorting ceremony! I can't believe it. It feels like just yesterday I was getting on my first train to school." Her mother was beaming and holding on to a large old film camera. The train's whistle blew, echoing about in the station and making Elspeth jump, her nerves still on edge from the whole situation. "Elspy! You're going to miss the train! Quick, stand next to your father." Her dad sidled up next to her and put a hand on her shoulder, smiling and eyes twinkling with some small tears that were clearly welling up. Her mom tapped the camera then let go - it continued to float in space as she walked over to stand by Elspeth and her father. A hand on each shoulder, her parents smiling. Elspeth tried to smile, but worried that it was going to look all wrong in the picture. But the flash went off with a puff of blue smoke and before she knew it she was being ushered onto the train as her dad worked with a porter at the station to haul her trunk up the steps. She took one last look at her parents from the door, waving and smiling. "I'll write you as soon as I can! I love you!"

The door swung shut and suddenly everything felt very quiet and she felt calmer. No need to worry anymore, the wheels of the future were already spinning and there was no turning back now. She turned down the hall and began walking absentmindedly toward.... something. She wasn't quite sure, but her feet seemed to know what they were doing. There were excited kids talking loudly in some cars, kids crying uncontrollably as they waved goodbye. At least two students appeared to be chasing after a cat that was scurrying away from all the noise. She gave small smiles and nods to people she passed by, but didn't feel pulled into a car until she found a compartment with three other students who all appeared to be her age sitting in it.

"Hello, is there room for one more?" she asked from the doorway.

Interacting with: @Zykeal Lane, @Birdie Spindlewheel, @Calypso Aretez

"I'm going to be in Slytherin too, I hope. Or Ravenclaw. Like my parents." Birdie responded at Callie. The redheaded boy, Zyk, didn't give much of an answer, but then he began rambling about Hogwarts not being real, or something like that.
Birdie let out a small giggle at Zyks words, but quickly stopped when she realized he was serious. His demeanor finally made sense to Birdie. The boy must be a muggle, or at least raised as one. Birdie had never actually met a muggle, and she had never had any particular interest in doing so. However, Zyk seemed interesting to her.
The other girl, Callie, who seemed to be more like Birdie started explaining Hogwarts to him. Birdie nodded along at her words. She seemed very passionate, which Birdie liked.

"Yeah, no worries. It's definitely real. Hogwarts has existed for generations, and if they wanted muggle money I'm sure there's an easier way - Not that anyone would do that." Birdie explained, and added the last part to not freak him out any further. It seemed weird to her, that people even wondered about this, although she understood the confusion if you'd never heard of the wizarding world.

Once again, the door to the compartment opened. She turned her head to see a tall (at least to Birdie, she was.) dark-haired girl. She asked if there was room for one more, and Birdie nodded.
"What's your name?" She asked the new girl, and introduced herself.

@Elspeth Gollens @Zykeal Lane @Calypso Aretez

[font=times new roman]Zykeal looked to the two girls as they gave their explanations of the school that they were journeying too at the time being. Thinking on it, he figured he'd hold onto his skepticism still, but, keep it to himself to not look foolish in front of his future classmates. Shifting his gaze from Callie to Birdie and back, he gave a slight nod of resignation, giving off the appearance that he was now informed on the situation. "So, you guys were... raised with this magic stuff?" he commented, a hand shifting up to slide his fingers between a tuft of hair that protruded from his beanie to the side.

As he did so, his other hand moved to grab the wand he had tucked into the side of his pants line. Bringing it up, he nonchalantly started spinning it within his fingers like a drum stick would be fiddled with. The wand had no use to him since he had purchased it and was very curious about the use of the thing regardless. "You guys get your wands too? The mate at the shop said I had something like a phoenix in mine, whatever that means," he shrugged, looking down to his hand that was twirling the long ivory colored wooden object. "The house thing you mentioned though... what," he said until someone else had entered the compartment.

His gaze was suddenly shifted towards the doorway then, another girl had entered and he let out a soft audible sigh. If the train was going to fill up he was hoping he'd not be stuck with all girls in the small compartment for the entirety of the train ride. Unfortunately, that's just how the world worked though. The 11-year-old then gave the new girl an approving nod, agreeing with Birdie that there was still room in the area for one more person. Deciding not to continue on with his previous train of thought, he tilted his head against the window of the train and looked out to observe the world as they passed it.

Interacting with @Birdie Spindlewheel | @Calypso Aretez | @Elspeth Gollens

Elspeth smiled in response to the girl's nod. Closing the compartment door behind her, she found a seat next to the boy and tried not to feel awkward. It wasn't that Elspeth was inherently awkward around boys, but she always felt like there were all these implications around how she acted around them that she didn't really understand. Now she was nervous that her asking to come and sit may have seemed like a ploy to sit next to him. She made sure to try and sit closer to the door to give him some space, though he did seem more interested in what was outside of the window at the moment than in her.

"... name?" the dark haired girl across from her asked. Elspeth had only been half paying attention and paused a moment before responding as she realized that the girl must have been asking her what her name was.

"Oh, I'm Elspeth," she extended a hand, "nice to meet you." As she felt her hand hang in the air for a split second she wondered why she had put it up to begin with. She'd never been one to shake hands. It just seemed like the right thing to do? She continued to lift it up until she could run in through her hair and bring it down to her lap.

The sweat on her palms was a novel sensation. Meeting new people hadn't seemed intimidating before she'd gotten to the station. But for some reason, knowing that she was on a train with what were essentially her roommates for the next seven years was putting a bit of pressure on her to make good first impressions. Which was leading her to make silly first impressions. She counted three of her breaths in her head while maintaining her neutral smile, in and out. In and out. In and out. This was going to be fine. She was going to be fine.

"I heard you talking about your wand, do you all have yours too?" She pulled hers out of her bag, sitting it down in her lap. "I haven't had a chance to... well I guess we can't really do much with them yet huh?"

Interacting with: @Zykeal Lane @Calypso Aretez @Birdie Spindlewheel